MISHAP TO SEARCHER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3631, 28 April 1927, Page 2

MISHAP TO SEARCHER.

Mr. Vosseler, who is leading one of the search parties, has reported that a member ,o,f his party, Mr. R. B. Hill, of Island Bay, had broken a leg in, the difficult country at the back of Dalefield, and that it would take at least two days to' carry him down to a hospital. Mr. Vosseler does not expect to be back in Wellington before Friday. A relief jSarty left Wellington yesterday. At Dalefield they will be joined by a doctor, and from there will go on to meet Mr. Vosseler’s party, the members of which are stated to be making Mr. Hill as comfortable as possible. ! SOME SUGGESTIONS. Mr. T. M. Drummond, surveyor, of Greytown, suggests per medium of the Dominion, that in cases ‘ of searching for lost persons in ,the bush that dogs (country dogs preferable) in many cases would indicate to one that something unusual was near. He is also of opinion that as the bush country generally is vested in the Forestry Department permission to tour the country should be insisted upon, and if persons were found trespassing without a competent guide a penalty should be imposed. Mr. M. Maxton (late secretary of the Greytown Mount Hector Tourist Club) says that all Hampers should in addition to their ordinary estimated hampers, have “emergency rations,” consisting of food so condensed that it takes but little room in the,kit. A compass —one for each man—is practically a necessity, and should never be neglected. I have known a party go two or three times around a “tarn” north of Hector before discovering they were going in a circle. This was caused by a heavy fog obstructing their view, whereas with a compass they would have soon found out their error. Another important factor is, never go with less than three in a party, so that if one meets with an accident, there is still one to go for aid while the other attends to the unfortunate one. Then, again it has forced itself on me that there should be .some way of registering all parties going over the ranges. There could be a registering office at, say Wellington, Otaki, Levin, etc., on the West Coast, and Greytown, Carterton, 1 and the east side, or as many more as was found necessary. I feel sure there would be someone in theso respective districts who would voluntarily take such information and register it, with such details as may be thought necessary. ANOTHER VICTIM OF THE BUSH. Invercargill, This Day. Martin Ford, aged 26, single, employed at the Port Craig sawmill, left on Sunday to walk through the bush tracks to Tuatapere. As he failed to arrive, a search party was formed, and the body was found by them at the foot of a cliff. Deceased had apparently tripped on the narrow track and fell down a steep gully.