A hypothermic man on Mount Taranaki sparked a near six-hour rescue effort on Saturday in a incident police hope others learn from.
At about 6.30pm, the man called for help after he realised he was going into hypothermia.
He had been on a day trail run when he was caught out by weather in very cold temperatures, police said.
“Unprepared for the local conditions, the solo traveller was running out of food, water, and phone battery, and was 1400 metres up the mountain when he phoned for an ambulance.
“Taranaki Police Search and Rescue, the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter and alpine cliff rescue members were scrambled in an effort to get the man off the mountain as quickly as possible.”
At the time, poor conditions and low cloud meant alpine cliff rescue members could not be flown directly to the man’s location.
The rescuers were instead dropped further down the mountain, and walked for five hours, reaching the man at 1.30am.
After he was located, a break in the weather meant the man could be airlifted off the mountain at about 3.20am.
Police said Mt Taranaki was a “great place to explore and visit”, however conditions changed with “little notice”, and police would like to remind visitors to always be prepared.
Five steps of the land safety code to remind visitors:
- Choose the right trip for you. Learn about the route and make sure you have the skills for it.
- Understand the weather. It can change fast. Check the forecast and change your plans if needed.
- Pack warm clothes, extra food. Prepare for bad weather and an unexpected night out.
- Share your plans and take ways to get help. Telling a trusted person your trip details and taking a distress beacon can save your life. Leave a date and time to raise the alarm if you haven’t returned. Send this information to a trusted person directly.
- Take care of yourself and each other. Eat, drink and rest, stick with your group and make decisions together.
