Last hours of elderly climber caught on film

It was a moment of triumph captured on film. On his 80th birthday, Harry Vernon posed at the summit of Mt Taranaki and photographed himself using a camera with a time-delay shutter.

Minutes later, the Welsh-born adventurer was dead after accidentally plunging over a bluff just metres from the top of the 2518m mountain.

His camera was smashed in the fall, but remarkably the film was undamaged.

The photos - featuring other scenes of his progress up the mountain - were produced at an inquest yesterday and detailed the final few hours of his life.

In the New Plymouth Coroner's Court, Taranaki Alpine Cliff Rescue Squad leader John Jordan said it appeared Mr Vernon had fallen over the bluff at Blondy's Traverse near the Surrey Rd bluff. The route out of the summit was dangerous and rarely used, he said.

It was possible Mr Jordan had become disoriented a on his way down and made the fatal decision to take the wrong course.

Coroner Roger Mori said Mr Vernon died of multiple injuries.

"He was obviously a fit and independent person for his age and had made the summit on more than one occasion.

"Sadly, on his descent, something went wrong and he fell to his death."

Climbing Mt Taranaki had significant risks, Mr Mori said.

"Almost every year I have to deal with deaths on the mountain. It is important that people take note of this advice.

"I hope that the publicity will help in saving lives in future."

It appeared Mr Vernon had developed an obsession about climbing the mountain after a failed climb in 1956. He lived in New Zealand at that time, but at the time of his death was living in Maryland, United States.

Mr Vernon's brother, Vince, said from Swansea, Wales, that his family was looking forward to seeing the photographs. "He died as he lived, you know, dangerously. It always amazed us how he managed to live that long," he said.

- NZPA