POINTER FOR TAUPO RESCUE GROUPS

Taupo Times, Volume VI, Issue 289, 22 August 1957, Page 1

POINTER FOR TAUPO RESCUE GROUPS

IT is a sobering thoug'M tliat such a responsible body as the Xew Zealand Deerstalkers ' Association, at its annual conferenee at" Dunedin this month, should find it necessary to say that often its members are not called in soon enough whe'n persons are lost in the bnsli or in momitainous regions. In a panel published in this issue is the statement by two Taupo men, Messrs W. A. Patterson and K. East, who attended as delegates to the conferenee-, that "delegates spoke of an instance reeently in the Soutli Island where two girls were loeated.too late . . . " Tlie inferenee obviously is that tli.ougli association members were willing to join, they were not asked, or were asked too late. That is an extraordinai y state of affairs, in the light of tlie large part which qualified members. of the association have played in rescue parties thronghout the Dominion. Their record, their experience in biishcraft, and the faet that they belong to an official orgaiiisation and are well equipped, would seem to demaiid tliat they should be among the first to be called upon wlieu the oceasion wari-ants. This ea its to mind some poi i its raisecl by the Lake Taupo j Yacht Club a few weeks ago ! 9-t a conferenee with repre- 1 sentanves of the Department of Internal Affairs at Turangi. Tlie club delegates suggested tlie keeping of an extended radio-watch schedule during the fishing and holiday periods, and tlie need for a co-ordinated reseue orgaiiisation to suit the particular needs of this area. There was an ineonclusiye dis- 1 eiission iipon the subject. and finally it was agreed tliat | because of the peculiar needs of this district, it would be a good idea if a conferenee of interested parties was called and a blueprint drawn so that all the loose ends could be pulled together. The sooner the confereiice is called, the better.