At 10:11am on Friday morning, Alpine Rescue Canterbury was contacted by RCC to respond to a emergency beacon activation on tops of the Arthur Range, Kahurangi National Park.
A tramper had fallen down steep terrain from the ridge line. They had sustained multiple fractures and internal lacerations. Due to the remote location, traumatic injuries, and deteriorating weather, the team prepared for the possibility of a technical stretcher carry. A total of six ARC operators and one GCH medic were deployed to Cowin Spur, approximately 2km from the patient.
They coordinated with a team of three from Motueka LandSAR that were on site and assisting the injured party. The combined team worked collectively to stabilise and package the patient before moving them to a ledge that was carved into a nearby scree slope.
The Motueka team escorted the un-injured party out whilst ARC setup a bivy site and hunkered down overnight. A low cloud base and stormy weather thwarted winch attempts. At 6:14am on Saturday, pilots found an opening in the clouds through the Crow River and successfully winched the patient out and bought straight to Nelson hospital.
Whilst December is a time typically associated with summer warmth, cold weather systems still pose very real hypothermia risks. Overnight, temperatures dropped down to 2°C. Persistent wind chill, rain, and eventually snowfall made temperature management a priority.
This job had a great outcome, but is a serious reminder of how poor weather can impact rescue efforts. Thankfully, this party was well-prepared. This is a good opportunity to review your safety and cold weather equipment. Emergency shelters such as bothie bags are essential in exposed terrain. Gas cookers were also used to constantly reheat hot water bottles, and warm food.
A huge thank you to RCC, Motueka Search and Rescue, GCH Aviation, Christchurch Helicopters Ltd, Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust and Motueka Police for making this outcome possible.
If you would like to support our team to perform more rescues like this one, please consider donating: https://alpinerescuecanterbury.com/donate/. All funds raised go towards team training and equipment.
Alpine Rescue Canterbury 