NSW: May have to wait until Spring to find snowboarders, police

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-1999
NSW: May have to wait until Spring to find snowboarders, police

Police have conceded they may have to wait until the snow melts in spring to find four
snowboarders missing for 15 days in the Kosciuszko National Park.

Search co-ordinator Superintendent CHARLIE SANDERSON says a review of the search on
Wednesday is likely to consider scaling it back to occasional patrols by local police.

Superintendent SANDERSON says 10 fresh reinforcements will relieve the search team today
and stay in the field at least until Wednesday.

A further scaling down of the search would be the first admission by police that they are
no longer looking for survivors.

A total of 21 searchers including a police helicopter yesterday continued to search for the
four Sydney men from Seamen's Hut two kilometres above sealevel to the Kosciuszko Corners,
Ramshead, North Ramshead and Cootapatamba.

But it's all terrtitory that's been searched before and the tiring searchers are beginning
to feel their efforts are futile.

Police believe SCOTT BEARDSMORE, 26, his brother PAUL, 24, and their 25-year-old companions
TIM FRIEND and DEAN PINCINI were buried under snow at the outset of what was to be a
snowboarding weekend.

AAP rmg/ced/rat

KEYWORD: SNOWBOARDERS (PERISHER, Nsw)

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