OVER PRECIPICE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 598, 1 August 1933, Page 7

OVER PRECIPICE

YOUNG MAN IIANGS IN MID-AIIl ON ROPE. SAVED BY MATE'S PLUCK. Held iri a perilous position by a rope attached to another climber, a London visitor to the English Lakeland was lately rescued in dramatic fashion on a famous Cumherland mountain. He was Mr. John Whitehead, aged 19. He vras talcen to Reswick Hospital suffering from a douhle fracture of the right arm, a fractured thigh and injuries to the right side of the head. It took four and a half hours to convey Mr. Whitehead on a stetcher to the village of Seath waite, four miles from the scene of the accident. Two women helped the rescuers, numbering 40. Mr. Whitehead, with a party consisting of Miss O'Brien, Mr. D. G. Ritson, hoth of Crewe, and a Manchester man, was making the severe 200ft climb on the Great Gable mountain. When near the top of Torpet Bastion, he stepped on a loose stone and fell 100 feet down the face of the rock. In his fall he struck the precipice and jutting pieces of rock, hut fortunately the rope held, •and he hung half-way down. Mr. Ritson pluckily jumped to the other side of the ledge and held Mr. Whtiehead, and thelManchester man also climbed ..rio/vn h/ld helped Mr. Ritson' to lowerSpr. Whitehead to the bottom. Mi*. J. E. B: Wtoit, ejiief of the Lakeland MountaitflSjidqs, was climbing on the Gable lvi-^^fen other party, and Miss O'Brien sumMried him. There were a number of other elimbers .ahout, and. one, Miss Craven, a nurse, assisted Mr. Wright to attend to the injured man after he had been removed to a more conifortable position. The accident occurred at half past two, and the Barrowdale ambulance men covered six miles, including the stiff climb up the Sty Head Pass and along the Gable traverse, to reaeh the spot. By half past four— wonderfully quick work, especially as they were carrying a stetcher — they had posted relief parties on the way. It was dark by the time Mr. Whitehead was put' on the stetcher. _ The journey to Seawaite was very difficult and dangerous. A slip would have sent him rolling down to eertain death, i "I wqs roped to Mr. Whitehead," said Ritson in an interview. "^hen%e fell, I jumped across the ledgei and dropped into a crevice which gave me .a. firm hold. Fortunately the rope did' not hreak, and I was able to hold him. I was holding him for five ' minutes before assistance came and he was: low^i'ed." 1 /The Great Gable rises to a height o£ 2949 feet, and is a favourite ^eak w|th climb ers itt the Lake District-;^