Compass 'could have saved Te Papa boss'

Police believe a simple $15 compass could have saved the lives of Te Papa boss Seddon Bennington and his tramping partner Marcella Jackson.

Not having a cellphone or tent when they got caught in blizzard-like conditions on the Tararua Range also contributed significantly to their deaths, according to Search and Rescue.

The last moments of Dr Bennington, 61, and Ms Jackson, 54, were examined during the first day of a coroner's hearing in Palmerston North yesterday.

Both died of hypothermia while tramping from Otaki Forks to Kime Hut on July 11. Their bodies were found four days after they went missing – a kilometre short of the hut and about 300 metres apart.

Sergeant Noel Bigwood, of Levin, who co-ordinated part of the Search and Rescue mission, said both were found without mobile phones, compasses or a GPS device.

The type of compass most commonly used by trampers cost about $50, but he had seen them sold for a little as $15.

Dr Bennington's Vodafone cellphone was found in his car, while Ms Jackson's Telecom cellphone was found at her home. Mr Bigwood said he made test calls from the area where the pair were found and received full signals on both networks.

Dr Bennington was found wearing eight layers of clothing – wool and synthetic – but his sleeping bag was more suited to indoor conditions, Mr Bigwood said. Ms Jackson was found with four layers of clothing and a new, outdoor sleeping bag but her jacket was more suitable for skiing than tramping.

Mr Bigwood also believed Dr Bennington survived a night in sub-zero temperatures before rising the next day, but only made it 300m before he died.

Four other members of the Search and Rescue team gave evidence yesterday. All described the conditions on Tararua Range that weekend as being gale-force winds at times, with snow to low levels reducing visibility to about 50 metres.

Team leader Christopher Maher was the man who found Dr Bennington's body, shortly after a searcher reported seeing an arrow carved in the snow on Bridge Peak – an exposed ridge line above Kime Hut.

"I saw what looked like a flat, dark rock about 100m from me ... as I got to within 30m I realised it was a person," he said.

Dr Bennington was not wearing gloves, but a nearby sock suggested he had used them to protect his hands, Mr Maher said.

Paul Johnson, another tramper on Tararua Range that weekend, recalled meeting Mr Bennington near Field Hut and suggesting the trek to Kime Hut was a bad idea without an ice axe and crampons – which neither had. That remark was greeted with a "wink and a nod" by Dr Bennington, he said.

Five more people are to give evidence today, including Dr Bennington's wife, Frances.

- © Fairfax NZ News