Injured tramper rescued from Tararua Ranges
30 July 2010 11:40am
The Wellington-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter winched an injured tramper from the Tararua Ranges earlier this morning.
A 61 year old Wainuiomata man fell and severely broke his leg during a tramp towards Mt Holdsworth late yesterday afternoon. The man was tramping with two others, one who walked out to raise the alarm after the man was injured. The weather was unsuitable for a helicopter response last night so a Land Search and Rescue Team walked to the injured man and kept him warm and comfortable overnight.
The helicopter was requested this morning to winch the man from the bush.
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter, with a Wellington Free Ambulance paramedic onboard, responded around 0835 this morning and had the patient back at Wellington Hospital around 0940.
"The LandSAR guys did a fantastic job keeping the patient warm and comfortable" says Dave Greenberg, Westpac Rescue Helicopter crewman. "When we got into the area they let off a smoke flare so it was easy to pinpoint their location".
The LandSAR team carried the man to an area on the East Holdsworth Track where there was a small gap in the trees for the winching. The WFA paramedic was lowered to the scene and the patient was placed on our winch stretcher and then winched back into the helicopter.
The man has a badly fractured leg and is being treated in the Wellington Hospital Emergency Department.
For more information please contact:
Dave Greenberg
Westpac Rescue Helicopter
029 233 8284
