LATE MR. AMBURY.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 March 1919, Page 5

LATE MR. AMBURY.

AWARD OP THE ALBERT MEDAL. The Wellington Post's London correspondent writes: It is announced that the Ring hasawarded the Albert Medal in recognition of the gallant action of the late Arthur Hamilton Ambury, of Xew Plymouth, in endeavoring at the cost of his own life to save the life ofi!W."E. Gourky (Ohristchurch),' while climbing Alount .Eginont last June. The official description of the inoident is as follows: "On 3rd June, WIS, Mr Anibury, with his wife and two friends, were climbing on Mount Egmont v Taranaki, New Zealand, and had reacted an altitude of 55(X)ft, when a call, fp'r help was heard %m above. Two members of Mr Ambury's party commenced to climb to render assistance, and Mr Ambury. after placing' liis wife in a safe plaee, went up after them. At a height of about 7300 ft they found two climbers, one of whom had been hurt. They took charge of the injured man, and his companion, who had an ice axe, proceeded higher up the mountain to assist a third member of the party. The injured man had been assisted down some lOO.ft, and Mr Ambury had nearly reached the party, who wore descending a steep iee slope, in which they had to cut steps, when one of the two men in the rear slipped and slid down the slope nt a terrific pace. Mr Ambury, who was about CO ft lower down, braced himself and endeavored to stop the falling man by seizing his alpenstock, which was trailing Ibehind him, but the alpenstock was jerked out of his hand, and he was precipitated down the slope of the mountain. He was an experienced mountaineer, and mu«t have realised how terrible a risk he was running in endeavoring to save the falling 'man,"