ALPINE TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1932, Page 5

ALPINE TRAGEDY

TWO LIVES LOST. BODIES BROUGHT TO BEALEY. The mishap to the party of alpinists who on January sth left Hokitika to cross the Southern Aps was yesterday revealed to have had a tragic result when the bodies of two of the three teachers who formed the party, were found at the River Taipoiti, at the Canterbury side of the Harmon Pass. Th e reports as to more than three men being missing were not verified, as it transpired that the other men meintioned in those reports were safe. The victims were:— HAROLD SMITH, aged 25, of No. 4, Chancellor Sltreet, Shirley, Christchurch, teacher at the Opawa Sehoa: formerly a teacher at the Hokitika School, and a son of the late Mr H. Smith, School Inspector, formerly ol Greymouth. CHARLES BERNARD ROBBINS, aged 27 years, married, residing with his wife and three children, at H Bunyan Street, Waltham, Christchurch. Keith Loney, aged 26, school teacher, who gave the first news of the tragedy to Wilson and Sweney, is being brought down to-day to the Bealey. The bodies were brought in yesterday. Hie Greymouth police were Inst evening advised by Constable Robb, of Otirn, nt about 7.45 o’clock that the search party which he had taken out the previous day had returned to the lieu ley at. 4.45 p.m, with the bodies of Harold .Smith, and Charles Bernard Bobbins, Constable Robb seated that the third man, Loney, was found alive and was in another camp, and would he brought into Bealey tOrday. An inquest on the victims will most likely he held to-day at the Bealey, before a Justice of the Peace and a jury of four. ‘

The body of Robbins was found in the Taipoiti River, which is 4000 feet above sea level, by the searchers yesterday at 7.30 a.m, The body of Smith was later discovered in a range 400 yards away from the river. It appeared that Robbins had fallen into the stream and been drowned. His body bore many cuts. It had to he carried from the heights, over snow, and the rescuers had to make many crossings of the Taipoiti. Smith’s body was got down from tile height more easily, and both were taken on pack horses to the Bealey. Great credit is paid to Jas. P. Wilson for his dash to the Bealey for help the previous day after Loney came to their camp. In his attempt to cross a deep ford in the Wnimakariri lie almost met disaster. He was caught in a swift current, but was washed to the hank on the side from which h e had set out. He crawled up the bank, and then, deciding that it would be futile and foolhardy to repeat the attempt, went back to the hut to wait for daylight. CHRISTCHURCH, January 14.

After their arduous journey, the searchers at 4.45 this afternoon brought in the bodies of Harold Smith of Chancellor Street, Shirley, aged 27, and Charles Bernard Robbins, 11 Bunyan Street, Waltham, aged 27. The bodies were brought to the Bealey by Mr F. W. Cochrane.

Loney, who is safe will be brought down to the Bealey to-morrow,

How They Died

The body of Robbins was found in the Taipoiti River at 7.30 a.m., at a height of 4000 feet. The other body was found in a range at the back of the stream, about 400 yards away. The body of Robbins was badly cut about. It iooked as though lie had had a bad fall. Apparently he fell into tl stream, and was drowned. Smith probably died in his sleep. Robbins’ body had to be brought down 2000 feet, and it was carried across a snowfield. It was then carried across the Taipoiti River, which had to lie forded twelve times. Smith’s body was brought down a shingle slide to the river, and brought across. Both bodies were placed on pack horses, and were conveyed to the Bealey, arriving at 4.45. An inquest will be held at the Bealey to-morrow. TRAMPERS BATTLE AGAINST WEATHER CONDITIONS KEPT TOO HIGH AN ALTITUDE. ( by Telegraph —Per Press A ssociation) CHRISTCHURCH, January 15. The story of the trampers battle against the weather conditions is obscure, but they seem to have held out lor two or three days. A fatal mistake that led to the deaths of two of. the party, Robbins and Smith, was in following too high a path. After they had crossed Whitehorn’s Pass into Canterbury, they should have descended several hundred feet to reach the saddle at the head of Taipoiti Gorge. fhstead they kept on at a high level and ended ui) in fog and gathering darkness, on the bluff of n spur of Mount Isabel, whence they found it impossible to proceed in any direction during the night, on which they remained. There the sleep of death overtook Smith.

Robbins apparently awoke in time hub his frantic efforts to release himself from Hie maze of bluffs and precipices ended in his slipping over a bluff into the Upper Taipoiti Gorge, where his body was found. l.one.v, tlm survivor, made his way hack over Whitehorn’s Pass and found help at the camp of Wilson and Sweney iu Wilber force Valley.

The heroic efforts of the searchers were favoured by good weather. To retrieve the body of Smith it was necessary for the rescuers to make an almost complete circle round Mount Isabel ploughing through deep masses of sliding .shingle. Five men took turns at carrying the body, but all they could manage at a time was ten or fifteen steps. The body was finally pnekhorsed to Carrington Hut.