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Prime Minister Helen Clark says returning to the great outdoors will never be the same after fighting in vain to save the life of her long-time guide and friend, mountaineering legend Gottlieb Braun-Elwert.
Helen Clark and her skiing party have been praised for their efforts to try to resuscitate Mr Braun-Elwert, after he collapsed outside a hut in South Island mountain country on Thursday.
With her husband Peter Davis, her niece Rose Hardacre and Cabinet ministers Damien O'Connor and David Parker, the group spent more than two hours trying to resuscitate Mr Braun-Elwert after the suspected heart attack, with no prospect of emergency help reaching them due to poor weather in the Two Thumbs Range in South Canterbury."It was very harrowing. But everybody rose to the occasion and we just threw everything we could at trying to help," a clearly upset Helen Clark said yesterday."Unfortunately with weather like that you just can't get the helicopter in," she said.
Despite their efforts, it eventually became clear that Mr Braun-Elwert could not be revived."I think Gottlieb probably went pretty quickly. We got him in and got him comfortable, but I think it happened pretty fast. We kept up the CPR and mouth-to-mouth for a long time, but eventually people advised us to stop," the Prime Minister said."That's how sudden it was. You go from a happy afternoon skiing to someone just not being with you. It's just a terrible thing to see one of your old friends pass away like that."
Mr Braun-Elwert's widow, Anne, was thankful to Helen Clark and the rest of her party for their efforts."They all did a fantastic job. They tried everything they could. Doing CPR for two-and-a-half hours is pretty harrowing."
Mrs Braun-Elwert said she would always be proud of her husband's high standing as a mountaineer and conservationist. And also as a family man."I feel very privileged to have had him as a husband and two wonderful daughters whom he adores."
Helen Clark had been guided by Mr Braun-Elwert on 13 different expeditions and considered him "one of the most incredible people I have met".
She was aware that Mr Braun-Elwert had been ill last week and was moving slower than usual, but he had felt up to the trip.
Mrs Braun-Elwert said: "We don't really know what the real cause is. We are just guessing it's a heart attack. He's such a fit, strong man - it's the last thing I thought would have taken him."
Helen Clark said that while she would return to the mountains, "it's just a tragedy Gottlieb won't be there".
Tributes have flowed for Mr Braun-Elwert since his death.
Aaron Halstead, president of the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association, said Mr Braun-Elwert was instrumental in linking the organisation with the world."He's a very strong-willed character and that is what guiding is all about. You have to be able to deal with some of the clients we get."
The fact that clients such as Helen Clark kept coming back to him showed how well respected he was, Mr Halstead said.
