MT. EGMONT FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1918, Page 2

MT. EGMONT FATALITY.

INQUEST CONTINUED. The inquest into tlie ercuinslances surrounding the death of Arthur H. Ainbury and Wm, E. Gourlay, the victims of the Mt. Jigmont fatality of Monday, June y, was resumed before the coroner. Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., yesterday. Sergt. Trehey represented the police. Noel C. Fookes, a clerk employed in. the Union Steamship Company's office, who accompanied Gourlay on, the mountain climb, 'gave evidence which was in keeping with the previous accounts that have been given of the occurrences of the day. He said that on the way down the mountain he left his companions in order to cut some steps to assist them in the journey. While he was doing so • they both slipped. He caught Gourlay. MaeDonald slipped further, hut man> aged to pull himself up. Gourlay continued his descent wmle witness went to assist MaeDonald. They continued their descent together after getting MacDonald back on to the track. After going a short distance witness noticed Mr. Bottrell and Mr. Mackay some considerable distance down the ice, and he called out to them to como and assist him with MaeDonald. They did so immediately. Bottrill and Mackay took charge of MaeDonald, and witness then cut larger steps in the ice, and went back to Gourlay to assist him. Witness also cut additional steps in between those originally cut, because Gourlay had lost his nerve somewhat as the result of his first fall. With the additional steps he appeared to be all right, anl they went on down to about the 6500 ft level, where they joined the others. Bottrill and Mackay and MaeDonald were seven or eight yards below Gourlay and witness, whilst Ambury, who had been called by Mackay and was bringing a rope, was about ten yards lower down. Bottrill suggested that witness should cut steps around them, in order that he could get down to Ambury and obtaiu the rope, and this he proceeded to do when Bottrill called out, and he looked up to see Gourlay slip past them feet first two or three yards away. He (Gourlay) had his alpenstock in his hand, but in the position in whigh ho was holdng it he could not vsee it to check his fall. He was travelling «ry fast when he got to where Ambury was standing. The latter braced himself and forced his alpenstock into the ice and made a grab at Gouxlay's alpenstock as he slipped past. Ambury caught the alpenstock, but the weight twisted him right off his feet, his bwn alpenstock broke, and he began to slide down the •ce several yards behind Gourlay. Gourlay went down the ice feet first all the way, but Ambury commenced to slide head first and then turned and went feet first. They travelled 'between 500 ft. and 000 ft. before they went over the first cliff and were lost to view. From where the bodies were found he concluded they must have gone over two other cliffs. Witness thought Gourlay must have been killed before going over the first cliff, because before getting to the edge of it he struck a rock, the impact throwing him some distance into the air. Tim accident happened between 4 and 4.30 p.m. To the coroner: It was Gourlay's first climb of Mount Egmont. MaeDonald had been up before, and had had some experience on the ice, whilst witness had been to the top eight times in winter. Ambury was an experienced climber. The ice was very hard. In reply to Sergeant Trehey witness said he did not think the mountain house was properly equipped for climbers. There were no ice boots, no snow glasses and no ice axes that could bo hired by climbers. It was one of the poorest equipped houses in New Zealand. Witness had his own appliances. The inquiry was further adjourned.