By JO-MARIE BROWN
A solitary flame burned yesterday alongside the photographs of six young men who lost their lives during a treacherous blizzard on Mt Ruapehu.
Beside the photos, six red roses were placed on the table by family members who had gathered at the mountain to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy that killed their sons, brothers, nephews and cousins.
More than 100 people travelled to the Whakapapa Visitors' Centre for the service to remember Privates Brett Barker, Stuart McAlpine, Mark Madigan, Jason Menhennet and David Stewart and Naval Rating Jeffrey Boult, who died during an Army four-day adventure training course on August 13, 1990.
In what became one of the country's worst alpine tragedies, 11 trainees and two Army instructors found themselves caught in a blizzard.
They were unable to reach the safety of an emergency hut just 200m away, and had no radio equipment to raise the alarm.
Of the five trainees who survived, Corporal Grant Mumby is the only one still in the Army.
He said he had put behind him the events that unfolded on Ruapehu, but vividly remembered the hours spent huddled in the snow awaiting his fate.
"The blizzard was quite eerie at the time," Corporal Mumby said. "We knew the guys around us were dying. As they became more and more hypothermic, you couldn't understand what they were saying.
"I thought about my family and the little things. But I also thought in terms of how many days I could last.
"I knew I would start losing things like fingers if we were there much longer, but I knew I could hang on. Otherwise, I would have just gone to sleep and died."
The families of those who did lose the battle have met at Ruapehu on the anniversary of the disaster every year. Mike Madigan, who lost his son, said the 10th anniversary was a milestone.
"I think we've been looking to today with a little bit of apprehension but I guess now that it's over there's a sense of relief and release."
During the service, Mr Madigan said the families had drawn immense support from one another over the years and were pleased that lessons had been learned from the tragedy.
"We cannot change the past, but it's our fervent hope that the improvements made by the Army and the formation of RARO [Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organisation] will have an impact on the shape of the future," he said.
"Our boys are gone but not forgotten. They live on in our hearts and they shall be forever young."
Snow tragedy marked
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