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payload from radioactivity testing  BALLOON STILL" "Â¥1EHTFG~" '

Statement By the Minister for Supply, The Hon. Allen-Pairhall

The Minister for Supply, M r Ã¢ÂÂ Allen Pairhall, said late this

afternoon that searchers today had failed to locate the 388 lb0

payload from a giant "balloon which had "been launched at Mildura

at 7o 26 aÃ¢ÂÂm. yesterday.

He said that the "balloon itself had "been found this

afternoon hear Braidwood.

MrÂ» Alan Mathews, Proprietor of Sunraysia Air Taxis, Mildura

who tracks all "balloon flights in project HIEAL for the

Department of Supply, saw the payload land at 3Â» 25 p,m6 yesterday

He "believed from land-marks that it had landed about two

miles from Jervis Bay,

Officers at ÃÂ.ÃÂ.ÃÂ. S. ALBATROSS - the Royal Australian Navy

Air Station at Nowra - are convinced that Mr, Mathews had "been

mistaken in his hurried calculation of the position and that

the payload is lying in heavily timbered country south of

Jervis Bay, nearer to Ulladulla,

Mr. Pairhall said that the search was postponed today and

will be resumed on Monday when Mr, Mathews will go up in a

Navy helicopter and point out the position where he saw the

payload go down.

He is confident that he will have no difficulty finding

the spot,

Mr, Mathews was unable to lead the search today because his  light aircraft was weather-bound at Cootamundra, to which  aerodrome he had returned after seeing the instrument package  from the balloon parachute to the ground,

Mr, Pairhall said that Navy pilots, familiar with the  thickly wooded country in the area, were sure that no one would  be in that area on foot unless directed there in the search.  Therefore, it was unlikely that the payload would be found by

anyone during the week-end.

MrÂ» Pairhall said that the United States Atomic Energy  Commission's filters which were in the payload would not have  been damaged on impact and would not suffer from exposure to  the weatherÂ»

"The success of the sampling tests made at an altitude of  . 102,500 feet could be nullified, however, if anyone were to  touch the filter paper," MrÂ» Pairhall saidÂ» "Therefore, I appeal to anyone who may come across the  payload package - which measure 4 ’  x 4' x 2* 6" - to leave it  untouched and report its location to the nearest police stationÂ»

"There is no danger of radiation but it would be a pity if  the result of the test were needlessly destroyedÂ»" He said that a Department of Supply recovery team would  stand by at H.M.A.SÂ» ALBATROSS on Monday until the Navy  helicopter containing Pilot Mathews reported the position of  the missing payload0

CANBERRA May 25, 196.2 - P,M.

