Sun-Herald (Sydney, NSW : 1953 - 1954), Sunday 24 October 1954, page 3


MOTHERS TEARS OF JOY AS

PILOT SON COMES BACK

A mother wept for joy yesterday as she embraced her son who was missing for six days after his Auster plane crashed.

Earlier yesterday, the son, Charles Maxwell (Max) Hazelton, 27-year-old Toogong grazier, flew

another Auster in an unsuccessful search for his plane.

He and his mother, Mrs. Enid Hazelton, also of Toogong, were reunited yesterday in Sydney.

Max Hazelton left Banks-town on Saturday of last week in his single-engine Auster for Toogong (132 miles from Orange).

Nothing was heard of him until he staggered into Cox's River township, in the Lower Burragorang Valley, on Friday.

During his six-day struggle back to civilisation, Hazelto walked 27 miles through rugged mountain country.

All the time he was missing, Mrs. Hazelton was convinced her son was alive.

Yesterday she motored down from Orange with her song John, 37, Jim, 23 and Kerry, 29.

Kerry Hazelton said: "We did not think we'd see Max again.

"We were still searching for him, but we didn't think we'd find him.

"Mum was convinced he was alive, and kept us searching.

When she heard by phone yesterday that Max had been found she wept unrestrainedly.

She sat there with her head in her hands, and said, Thank God.'"

Mrs. Hazelton, a small, grey-haired woman, said: "I would not have worried, but for the Blue Mountains.

"When they told me Max had crashed, I thought it would be in the mountains.

"Max has been flying for a few years now, and I knew

he could bring the plane down if anything went

wrong.

"Everyone at home was wonderful. All the neighbours spent their time searching for Max.

"I don't think there, has been any farming done in the district for a week."

When Mrs. Hazelton was shown her son's flying-boats, worn out by his arduous trek to safety, she said:

"He looked so nice when he left home to fly to Sydney.

"Still, it's a small price to pay for one's life."

She said she did not worry when' her sons flew. She had often flown with them.

Forced Back

Yesterday morning, Max Hazelton took off from Bankstown aerodrome in an Auster and flew to the mountains.

Poor visibility forced him to turn back when he was within 20 miles of where he thought his Auster had

crashed.

On his return, Hazelton, looking little the worse for

his week-long ordeal, said: "I t. am sure I'll be able to find the plane when the weather clears."

"It's painted a bright silver and red, and I should be able to spot it from a low-flying plane.

" "To-day we got pretty close, but we couldn't go much further.

Fly Plane Out

The altimeter said 3,100 feet, but we' weren't very far above the mountains.

"The mountains kept getting higher, and the ceiling lower, as we went

on.

"I headed for Wallacia, and then followed the river up through the Burragorang Valley.

"There was a thick ground mist and this made visibility

even worse.

"When I find the plane, the best way to get it out would be to fly it. "I

think we can clear

enough ground at the top of the ridge to do it."

I Max Hazelton shows ||

J his mother, Mrs.

J Enid Hazelton, the |

| flying-boats which he wore during his !

? six-day, 27-mile trek ', j to safety. !