MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 April 1941, Page 4

MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY

CLIMBER FALLS TO DEATH A DROP OF ABOUT 2000 FEET. A COMPANION INJURED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, April 13. Sliding more than 2000 feet down the slopes of Mount Egmont, a young Wellington climber, Claude H. (“Snowy”) Ilton, a single man, aged about 27 years, received injuries which caused his death on Saturday afternoon. Because of the condition of three other members of the party, who spent the night on the mountain at an altitude of about 6000 feet, only a sketchy outline of what happened could be gained today.

Four members of the Tararua Tramping Club. Ilton, Bertram Hocking, Sidney Harris, and Kenneth Allen, were descending from the summit toward Fantham's Peak on icy slopes that made it necessary for them to cut steps. When they were about 500 feet below the crater, Ilton missed his footing and fell about 2000 feet, part of which was over ice-covered rocks, into the head of the Maunganui Gorge. While the other three were making their way down to Curtis Ridge, Hocking. also slipped and received injuries. Harris and Allen spent the night at the head of Kapuni Gorge. Harris arrived at Dawson Falls hostel this morning, and Allen reached the Maunganui Hut. Search parties which went out found the body of Ilton in the Maunganui Gorge, and discovered Hocking perched on a rock slope fifteen feet from a twenty foot drop into the bed of the Kapuni Stream. He was carried to Dawson Falls on a stretcher. His condition is satisfactory, his injuries being superficial, though he is suffering from shock.