FROZEN TO DEATH

Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1928, Page 7

FROZEN TO DEATH

CHAMONIX, Aug. 16. A dramatic story of an Alpine tragedy which caused the death of two young climbers is told by a survivor, M. Georges Clot, a Marseilles student, who says : We set out last Stand ay, a party of four French students, to climb the Aiguille du Petit Dm, in the Mont Blanc group. On Monday, roped together, we had reached within 100 yds of the ‘summit, when M. Daurensan, who was climbing just ahead of me on his hands, let go and fell about 12 feet, striking liis head and shoulders on a rock. He was conscious, hut unable to move. Strapping him to his alpinestock, we lowered him, though every movement caused him great pain. It was decided that I should remain with him while my two companions hurried hack to Montanvert to organise a rescue party. That night Daurensan became lightheaded, but I gave him some food and sheltered him as best I could. On Tuesday no sign of help appeared until afternoon, when three young Swiss and two Italians passed. They gave me spare clothing to cover Daurensan, a small stove and all their food, while they hurried down the mountainside for shelter. CAUGHT BY BLIZZARD. They had not been gone more than two hours when a terrible blizzard arose. I could not keep the stove alight in the wind. On Wednesday I saw two men climbing the mountain 600 feet below. I thought they were the rescue party but they got no nearer, and I heard afterwards that they were guides who were trying to rescue the Swiss and Italians who had helped me the afternoon before. One of this party M. Paillard—-who had given np his spare clothing to cover Daurensan was frozen to death, and the others were badly frost bitten. At one o’clock Daurensan died. At six o’clock that evening one of my companions and another climber appeared, to annouce that a rescue party was on the w r ay up. They arrived on Friday morning. They wished to take my dead companion’s body down with them, hut Armand Charlet, a guide, had a bad fall, injuring his head, and the attempt had to be given up. Charlet fainted when he got to Montanvert and had to be carried to Chamonix on a stretcher.