Lost youth feared sleep

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 16, 10 September 1985, Page 28

Lost youth feared sleep

"He sat up all night because he was too scared to go to sleep. He thought he might not wake up," said Terry O'Brien. Speaking from Auckland, Mr O'Brien was describing the ordeal his son Robert, 16, went through on Mt Ruapehu at the weekend. Robert was skiing with two companions at Turoa on Saturday afternoon. He stopped to let a ski school group pass, and his companions went on. In white-out conditions that descended about 2.30 pm, Richard lost his way. When he came across a stream he followed it, thinking he was heading for.the carpark, his father said. In fact, the youth was walking at right angles to the correct route. When he reached the bushline he realised his error and built a bivouac for the night. Though he tried to stay awake, he dozed sitting up several times, Mr O'Brien said. Next morning, wet, cold

and tired, Robert followed the stream through thick bush until he emerged near Horopito — still carrying the skis from Switzerland that his uncle and given him. He hitched a ride to the Ohakune Police Statioh, where his father was waiting after a night-time dash from Auckland. "He was emotionally pretty shattered, and he couldn't believe I was there," said Mr O'Brien, "But he can't have suffered too much. — he's out wateiv skiing today." Mr O'Brien paid tribute to the efforts of park rangers during the search for Robert. " Myself and the boys who were with him eouldn't get over how fantastic they were," he said. « While the rangers searched "at risk to their own lives, others kept us topped up with coffee while we were worrying. "A lady called Teresa (Chapman) tried to keep our spirits up by saying people had survived on the mountain for several days."