WRONG JUDGMENT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 522, 4 May 1933, Page 6

WRONG JUDGMENT

(Press Assn

COMMITTED ONE ERROR AFTER ANOTHER SAYS EXPERT SEVERE CRITICISM

.— By Telegraph — Copyright).

Wellington Wednes. Severe criticism of the judgment of the party of four trampers who were missing in the Tararua ranges for a fortnight has been passed by the president of the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand, Mr. F. W. Vosseler, in a letter to the Wellington "Evening Post." After pointing out that after the party was six days overdue, between 150 and 200 persons became actively associated with the search Mr Vosseler says: "Many have responded to this work'with actual loss in wages as well as incurring cost and considerable inconvenience. At least two searchers are suffering in consequence — one in hospital. "Those best able to judge reeognise that the lost party committed one ; error of judgment after the other, and did not display that degree of experience one should have before attempting such a journey. .It was realised by the organisers of the search, mainly on account of the lapse of time, that, barring serious ' accident, the lost party had most likely selected the very worst route they eould have done and had elected ■to come down the Waiohine-iti. For this reason a party of searchers were constantly at Sayer's Hut on Totara Flats to render help in the likely event of the missing people Teaching there. This party no doubt kept a fire going most of the time in the hut, which is not at all difficult to locate, ■even from the opposite side of the river"Indeed with five or six other parties searching the loeality it is very difficult to understand how the missing people were able to escape detection. It appears from accounts that they were able to get fires go•ing, and it' would seem that they had overlooked the fact that a big smoke by day and a good blaze by night is a valuable asset to searchers. It is quite possible that some of the searchers still out may have come upon camps of the missing people, and . why they left no directions there as : to the time they were vacating it, or what their intentions were. is bevond

_ 7 ^ comprehension. "When first in difficulty at Broken Axe pinnacles it is hard to understand why they did not seek shelter on the leeward side of the range. Had they, by intelligent use of the com- 1 pass and maps, sought a route down. ithe Mangaterera, or better still a; /route to the Waingawa (which is one of the easiest rivers in New Zealand to negotiate and which fact should .have been known to them), they wonld have saved themselves considerable suffering and other anxiety and expense. The present episode w'dl 'provide a very good lesson for all trampers, and it is to be hoped that it will not bring into disrepute one 'of the finest and healthiest recreations there is." In other quarters there is cr'.ticism ■of the trampers' assertion. "We were /not lost," and the question is asked: How many days overdue must a • party be before it is considered as "lost."