Ewert, Aaron (1921-1957)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1957 Dec 5 p. 5

Birth date: 1921

text of obituary:

Killed In Fall Down 500-Ft. Cliff

Chilliwack, B. C. — While on a hunting trip with John Ratzlaff of Yarrow, Aaron Ewart [sic Ewert] of Vancouver slipped as he started to descend a 500-foot rocky cliff and plunged to his death. The tragic accident occurred the evening of Nov. 23, and a search party found the body the following afternoon.

Mr. Ratzlaff, a teacher, said he and his companion found themselves on a narrow ledge late Saturday night and debated whether to descend the cliff or wait until morning. Mr. Ewart [sic Ewert], who is a contractor, decided to try to get down. He fastened his rope to a stump, but just as he started to descend lost his footing.

Mr. Ratzlaff spent a cold, wet night with the sling of his rifle fastened to a tree, and in the morning safely made his way down.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 12 Dec 1957 p. 7

text of obituary:

Recover Body of British Columbia Hunter Killed In Fall of Nearly 1,000 Feet Down Rocky Cliff

SERVICES FOR AARON EWERT, 36, HELD AT FRASERVIEW CHURCH

Sardis, British Columbia. — Funeral services were held Nov. 27 at the Mennonite Brethren church, Fraserview, for Aaron Ewert,36, who was instantly killed Nov. 23 when he fell an estimated 800 to 1,000 feet down a rock cliff while on a hunting trip.

The broken body was recovered by several search parties the following Monday on a mountain near the Chilliwack River.

Mr. Ewert was a native of Yarrow, served in a camp for conscientious objectors during the war, and recently has been a builder in Vancouver. His parents, brothers and sisters all reside in British Columbia.

With Ewert at the time of the tragedy was John Ratzlaff, a Yarrow teacher. The two were hunting goat. As Ewert started to descend the steep cliff, he slipped and fell. Mr. Ratzlaff remained on the narrow ledge all night, and in the morning went down by another route, meeting a party of relatives and friends who had come to investigate.

A search party, including two policemen and several friends began the search for the body on Sunday afternoon. Unable to locate it immediately they spent the night on the mountain.

On Monday morning two more parties including Mr. Ratzlaff and other Yarrow residents took up the search. With Mr. Ratzlaff's help they soon reached the scene of the tragedy and located the body.

Several members of the party reached the body and placed it on a stretcher. With 200-foot lengths of rope, a skyline was rigged to move the stretcher over a difficult canyon. Any other method would have jeopardized life.