At 2:53pm on Sunday afternoon, Alpine Rescue Canterbury was tasked by RCC to respond to an emergency beacon activation on the popular Three Passes Route in Arthur’s Pass. A solo hiker had lost their footing and fallen down the steep bluffs below Mt Isobel. A two-person hasty team was offloaded near the patient, who was …
3:14pm, Saturday 21st February, our team received a call from RCC to respond to a emergency on Mt Temple, Arthur's Pass National Park. A party of four climbers, two climbing parties, were climbing Temple Buttress. Mid-way up the route, the climber took a lead fall approximately 15 metres above the belayer, pulling out one piece …
Continue reading "Temple Buttress Rescue – 21 February 2026"
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 …
At 11:19 am on Friday July 18th, ARC received notification that a PLB had been activated on the northeastern aspect of Mt Cupola in Nelson Lakes National Park. Two team members responded quickly, presenting at the GCH hanger where equipment for a possible technical winter alpine rescue was prepared for departure in the Westpac AIRMED …
At 1:13 PM on Saturday, 1st March, our team was notified of a PLB activation on the north side of Mt Rolleston. Initial aerial reconnaissance by the Greymouth Rescue Helicopter located two young climbers approximately 300 meters up a cliff face adjacent to the Otira Face. The climbers were roped together, approximately 30 meters apart; …
Our team recently joined DOC Aoraki Mountain Rescue and Wakatipu Search & Rescue for some combined training. Whilst mountain rescue teams are based in different regions throughout NZ, we all have an important job to do and sometimes we even respond to call outs together. Sharing ideas and operational procedures is invaluable for staying up …
Our team attended a rescue callout recently in the Arthur's Pass area with our local Rescue Helicopter. The callout required us to fly to the nearby Barker Hut to determine which group we were trying to locate. One person who was chilling at the hut told us that there were 3 pairs plus a solo …
Sunday afternoon at 1545 our team was tasked by Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) to a rescue on Otira Slide, just below the summit of Mt Rolleston Low Peak. Operation Summary One member of a party of four climbers was hit by rockfall, causing them to fall down the mountain, suffering severe head trauma and other …
Continue reading "Mt Rolleston Otira Slide Rescue – 18 February 2024"
Alpine Rescue Canterbury took part in an Avalanche SAREX this weekend in Craigieburn's Tarn Basin. A fantastic opportunity for the many Canterbury SAR groups and teams to come together to test the Canterbury Avalanche Rescue Plan. The realistic scenario exercise involved using helicopter access from Texas Flat up to an avalanche in Tarn Basin burying …
On Sunday 30 July, our team rescued an injured skier off the side of Castle Hill Peak. Two ARC team members winched down to the skier and two snowboarders who had come to his aid. All of the party were able to be winched off the slopes and the skier received the medical care he …
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