Greenlea Rescue helicopter in night mission

Greenlea Rescue helicopter involved in Challenging high altitude night mission.

The Taupo Based Greenlea Rescue helicopter was involved in a challenging high altitude rescue last night.

At about 1830 the helicopter was dispatched by the Police to assist with the search for and recovery of some missing / injured hikers in the Tongariro National Park.

The hikers were located on the western slopes of Mt Ngauruhoe.

It appears that while descending the mountain the group was caught out by fading light due to slower progress than anticipated.

As the sun started to go down, the colder conditions contributed to turning the steep slopes of "Mt Doom" into a solid sheet of ice.

Although using crampons and ice axes the ice was so slick and hard that all four of the hikers eventually fell, and slid varying distances down the side of the mountain, sustaining injuries ranging from cuts and bruises from the razor sharp ice, to fractured bones and the onsetting of hypothermia. (see the photo of one of the RARO - Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organisation - team members ice axes which was destroyed during the SAROP)

When located the four individuals were scattered down the western slopes of the mountain, unable to move from where their terrifying slides down the mountain arrested. By this time they were all separated and were perched on the icy slopes between about 6500 and 7000' in altitude.

Two RARO teams were flown onto the side of the mountain and hover-loaded out onto the treacherous icy slopes in the dark at approximately 7000'

The five highly skilled and dedicated Alpine rescue personnel, performed the difficult, and potentially extremely dangerous task of trekking to and stabilizing the injured parties, before anchoring themselves to the steep slope to allow for the helicopter to return and pluck the injured from the icy slopes while in the hover.

This task was clinically performed four times over and the rescued parties delivered to ambulances waiting at the base of the mountain.

Last nights operation was a slickly run SAROP under the control of the National Park police with support from the Taupo Police. There was a incredible turn out of LandSAR (RARO Alpine rescue) volunteers - some of whom spent most of the night waiting in the dark and cold on standby.

Its was a wonderful display of a well run, highly organized SAROP, which resulted in the safe recovery of a group of extremely lovely, and very humble and grateful - if not very very cold - hikers, who were unfortunate enough to find themselves in this situation.

It is my hope that if this story is used by the media it will be kept in context. These were good people, engaged in a healthy activity, out enjoying life to it fullest - who got caught out by the conditions. I am sure they realise that perhaps they made some less than ideal decisions yesterday, but they survived (with a few scars) to tell the tale.

Can we focus on the fact that we have a fantastic Search and Rescue program in this country that is superbly run by the police. Backed up by a dedicated and highly skilled crew of SAR and alpine rescue volunteers, and supported by a Community funded Rescue Helicopter.

That is the real story here!!!

.... Oh yeah, and the rescue helicopter was dispatched due to the inaccessible terrain..... :p

Philips Search and Rescue Trust is a charitable organisation, operating rescue helicopters throughout the Central North Island. Philips Search and Rescue Trust relies on support from principal sponsors and community donations. Special thanks to Taupo's principal sponsor, Greenlea. This crucial financial support ensures our rescue helicopters can continue to bring life-saving equipment, rescue personnel and trauma-trained medics directly to the patient. For further information about PSRT visit our website http://rescue.org.nz.

ENDS

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