Successful search and rescue operation in Te Urewera National Park

At about 12.30 pm yesterday (Monday 19 March) Police were advised of an injured hunter at the Ngahiramai Hut, situated in Te Urewera National Park.

The hunter, a 28 year old Waikato man, had been bitten by a spider the previous day, and overnight one of his legs had swollen up.

Because of the atrocious weather at the time, neither of the Air Ambulances from Rotorua or Taupo were able to get into the area, so a team of Police Search & Rescue Squad members from Rotorua were deployed to get to the man on foot. At about 1.30 pm they left Rotorua for the two hour drive to Ruatahuna, and then to walk the 11 kilometres to the hut, which is down the Whakatane River.

They were to take with them a paramedic from Taupo, to treat the injured man, and then arrange his extraction.

Late in the afternoon, when it became clear that the weather was not going to improve, a helicopter based at Murupara was tasked to attempt to fly into the area and retrieve the man.

This proved successful, and he was delivered to an ambulance at Murupara.

In this case, the only reason emergency services were aware of the hunter's plight and able to render assistance, was that those staying at the hut had the presence of mind to take with them a mountain radio. If it had not been for this it would have meant a tramp of three or more hours to Ruatahuna [the nearest telephone] just to raise the alarm.

It is heartening to be involved in an incident where those involved have done all the right things and made the job of emergency services easier. However this also highlights that even with all the technology we have available to help us, sometimes mother nature calls the shots.

Given the weather expected over the next few days anyone thinking of going into the outdoors needs to go prepared for any eventuality.