socialclimber
Jan 1, 2004, 10:03 AM
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NEW ZEALAND Jan 01, 2004 A Californian man caught in a killer avalanche on one of New Zealand's highest mountains is in a critical condition in Christchurch Hospital with severe head injuries. Gabriel Amador, 42, of Rosedale, California, was among a party of six climbers swept up in the slide on the upper slopes of 3,467-metre Mount Tasman in the Mount Cook National Park on Wednesday. The dead were Paul Scaife, 51 and David Hiddleston, 34, of New Zealand, and Dave Gardner, 40, of Tasmania but now resident in New Zealand. The other victim was Andrew Platts, 31, of Wembley, West Australia. Mount Tasman is regarded as one of New Zealand's most difficult climbs and regulations require every climber to be accompanied by a personal guide. The climbers were three days into a six-day trek with near perfect conditions when the avalanche hit. The group was climbing a steep part of Mt Tasman, towards Engineers Coll, when the accident occurred. The avalanche swept the entire party between 500 and 700 metres down the mountainside, over a series of drops, before coming to rest on the Grand Plateau. Scaife, Gardner and Platts were killed immediately. Hiddleston initially survived but died by the time rescuers flew him by helicopter to Mt Cook village. Two Swedish climbers were unhurt despite being swept up in the avalanche. Police had earlier said the two were Swiss. The alarm was immediately raised by another Wanaka guide, Mike Roberts, who was on the same climb with a client. Search and rescue team leader Athol Welsh said it was a difficult task, as members of the party were known to the rescuers, which made it a very personal experience. Senior Constable Brent Swanson said the four men died as a result of massive trauma, typical of avalanche injuries. It was not known what triggered the avalanche, but Swanson said inquiries into the cause would be made. He said the area was avalanche-prone at present, but the risk level was only moderate. Gardner's death would be a shock to the Tasmanian climbing community, said a friend and fellow climber who did not want to be named. The deaths bring December's death toll in the national park to eight. Earlier this month, a party of four Latvian climbers perished when they fell at least 300 metres near the summit of Mt Cook. © AAP Edited by Socialclimber
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