A near-hypothermic tramper who was winched to safety alongside his dog says he is “really grateful” to have been rescued from freezing conditions in the ranges north of Wellington yesterday morning.
The rescue in the Tararua Ranges took place in pre-dawn darkness early on Tuesday, with a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) helicopter crew negotiating low cloud and steep terrain.
Wellington man David Graham, an experienced tramper, and his Kelpie, Winnie, were on the second night of a tramp heading towards the Mid-King Bivvy on Monday night when the weather closed in and they could not find the hut.
Unable to find the shelter, he and Winnie settled under a large rock. But by 9pm the cloud lifted, bringing dew down and freezing his sleeping bag.
In 0.5C temperatures with rain setting in, Graham called emergency services and set off his personal locator beacon to alert authorities to his whereabouts.
The crew winched a near-hypothermic tramper and his dog to safety from freezing conditions in the Tararua Ranges north of Wellington. (Source: Supplied)
While it was initially decided a Land Search and Rescue crew would walk in the following day, by 2am a shivering Graham contacted police again.
An NH90 helicopter from RNZAF Base Ohakea left for the Tararua Ranges at 4am, reaching him 30 minutes later.
“As soon as I got in the chopper I was given the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had in my life. They gave me a Crunchie bar and put a heated pack down my front.”
No.3 Squadron NH90 pilot, Squadron Leader Andrew Stewart, said Graham had done the right thing by taking a personal locator beacon with him which meant they were able to fly almost directly to him.
The terrain was steep with bluffs directly below Graham, so it was a potentially dangerous situation for him to have lost his bearings. The cloud was thick and low, sitting on the eastern side of the ranges, Stewart said.
After landing at Masterton’s Hood Aerodrome, he was assessed by medics who found early symptoms of hypothermia had begun to affect his feet.
Graham said he was was “pretty happy” to be flown to safety, and would be able to see his wife and one-year-old baby.
“I’m just really grateful. And I hope the medic keeps tight hold of whatever recipe he has for that hot chocolate.”