BUZZARD TRAGEDY ON COPLAND PASS

Grey River Argus, 8 April 1948, Page 4

BUZZARD TRAGEDY ON COPLAND PASS

THREE YOUNG WOMEN FROZEN TO DEATH A sad triple tragedy, 'beyond the summit of the Copland Paso, on tne route from the Fox Glacier Hostel to the Mt Cook Hermitage, occur, eu on i uesday night as tne result of a blizzard civertaking a party of three v. umen and a guide. They were making a crossing frpm Fox Gnuierto the Hermitage. The three women died from fatigue and exposure, but the guide made his way to Mt Cook, airhough he arrived suffering from frostbite and extreme fatigue. THE VICTIMS ' The young women who lost their lives were:— Christine Margaret Sullivan, aged 19 years; daughter of Rev. C. M. and Airs Sullivan, of the Presbyterian Manse, Bangor Terrace, Kew, Dunedin. Thelma Leone Jefcoate. aged 19 years; daughter of Mr and Mrs W. D. Jefcoate, of 32, Gran view Crescent, Opoho, Dunedin. Joan Bust, daughter of Mr and Mrs Frank Bust, of 603 Worcester Street, Christchurch. Misses Sullivan and Jefcoate were both in their second year of training as nurses at. the Dunedin Public Hospital. Miss Bust, an employee of Midland Motors Ltd., acted as hostess on conducted motor tours for the Company, and was well known on the West Coast. Her father is a native of Hokitika. and a former trotting owner. Situated between Mt. Cook to the north, and Mt. La Perouse, to the south, the Copland Pass takes its name from the Copland River, a tributary of the Karangarua River. It was on Mt. La Perouse, a few weeks ago, that Miss Ruth Adams of Christchurch, sustained injuries in a severe fall and required more than a week to be taken to Weheka on a stretcher. The pass, which is 7,400 fget above sea level, is about 14 miles in a direct line from Weheka, and six miles from The Hermitage by direct line, and 12 miles on foot. Extremely rugged rountry comprises the area, where a number of previous fatalities have occurred. The Dunedin nurses, Misses Jefcoate and Sullivan,' arrived at th? Fox Glasier hostel on Friday of las' travelling from Otago by the Haast Pass route. Miss Bust travelled from Christchurch, and journeyed down by service car, arriving about the same time, and joined the nurses in their plan to cross the Alps. FIRST DAY'S JOURNEY P.A. TIMARU, April 7. Crossing the Alps from the Fox Glacier to The Hermitage, _ three women died from exposure in the Copland Pass last night. The party, which comprised two nurses from Dunedin and one woman from Christchurch. were accompanied by Guide Michael Sullivan, of the Fox Glacier, who fought the blizzard which overcame the party, and brought the news of the tragedy to The Hermitage this morning. The victims were Miss Joan Bust, aged 29, of 603, Worcester Street, Christchurch; Miss Christine Margaret Sullivan, aged 19, a nurse at the Public Hospital. Dunedin; an.l Miss Thelma Leon Jefcoate, aged 19. a nurse at the Public Hospital, Dupedin. The only account of the tragedy so far to hand is that given bv Guide Sullivan to 1 the manager of The Hermitage, Mr L. S. Dennis, when he reached there about 9 o’clock this morning. He was in au exhausted and i shocked condition. The party, apparently, left the Fox Glacier at 7 o’clock on Monday morning in fine weather, and they were fully equipped. That day they made the bush walk of 18 miles to the Douglas Rock hut. There they spent the night. The victims left the Fox G’acier or Monday. They were adequately equipped for the journey. The guide and one of the party had intended returning by the Graham Saddle, and they were wearing crampons. TUESDAY’S BLIZZARD AT THE TOP The party set out on the more strenuous part of the journey on Tuesday morning in fine weather. The weather, however, deteriorated as they climbed the pass. They reached the top of the Copland Pass about 2 p.m. There was then a strong north-westerly gale, a gale which, at that altitude (approximately 6950 ft) had attained to blizzard force, and it was also snowing. Crossing the icefield, the party apparently made slow progress. When they were crossing the icefields one of the women complained of pains in the chest, and she said that sne was not able to proceed. But. on being encouraged by Guide Sullivan, she struggled on, and the party crossed the icefield. However, the weather was becoming worse. Then the woman who was unwell couid make no further progress and she suggested that her companions should leave he 1 ’ there. They would not agree to this course. . Under the direction of the Guide, the party endeavoured to scratch holes in the gravel, and the scree in order to shelter from the blizzard. It was in lair weather that the party left the Douglas Rock hut, at 6 a.in. on Tuesday, and began the climb of the Copland Pass, which they reached about 2 p.m. By this time the weather had deteriorated, with a southerly change, this being accompanied by a blizzard. They negotiated reveral icefields and glaciers, the guide cutting steps in the ice for the party. About 6 p.m. one of the women complained of fatigue, and said that she could not continue. She asked the others to leave her and to make their way back. This Uiev refused to co. Good shelter was to bo had a few hundred feet on, but the woman was incapable of moving. The guide then scooped a shelter from the rock and shingle, and he did his best to keep the circulation moving in the fatigued woman's body. In spite of his efforts the woman died about 11. p.m. The guide then suggested to the other two women that they should push on. and should endeavour to reach better shelter, which was immediatelv above them, or possibly the Hooker Hut, which was in the vicinty. The women, however, assured him that they would be all right where they were for the night. GUIDE OVERCOME BY COLD A little later the Guide suggested to the women that they should deepen their shelter with the aid of their ice -axes, his idea being to give them work so as to keep the circulation moving. The women were incapable of doing this, and the Guide then divided his time between the two of them, trying to massage them. The Guide himself succumbed to the cold a little later, and, after a period of unconsciousness he awoke about 3 a.m. to find both of the other women dead and he therefore made his way to the Hooke]- hut, taking about three and a-half hours for a journey which is, normally, accomplished in an hour. After making himself a hot drink and resting for half an hour, Guide

Sullivan struggled to The Hermitage, which he reached about 9.30 a.m. in an exhausted condition. suffering from fairlv severe frostbite. 21 MEN GO OUT Within ten minutes of his arrival, the manager of The Hermitage, Mr L. S. Dennis, dispatched Guides H. Ayres and J. A.- Forsyth to the scene of Iho tragedy, in a hope that of the women might be alive. Half an hour later, Guide M. Bowie left with six other Guides and helpers,, carrying food and stretchers. This party was later strengthened by 12 men from the Lake Pukaki P.W.D., under Constable E. J. Trappitt. BODIES FOUND The bodies were found without any difficulty. Such was the dangerous condition of the snow, however, that only the Guides could handle the bodies. After taking them down a matter of 1000 feet, darkness forced them to leave the bodies there for the nighL BODIES LEFT TILL TO-DAY Such was the dangerous state of the ice, however, that the. party found it too hazardous to continue carrying the bodies and therefore left them for the night at a point 1000 feet below the spot where they were found. The partv will return their to-mor-row, and they are expected at the Hermitage at about 6 o’clock in the evening. GUIDE RECOVERING Considering the experience he 'has undergone, Guide Sullivan is now in a satisfactory condition Guide Sullivan’s survival is due to his having pushed on alone over the remaining 12 miles of the journey to The Hermitage to report the tragedy. •- ■ ,