Four rescued after cliff plunge

The Taupo Based Greenlea Rescue helicopter was dispatched to the Mangaehuehu Glacier on the south slopes of Mt Ruapehu on Sunday afternoon. PHOTO/ SUPPLIED

Four skiers and snowboarders who plummeted 15 metres from a cliff and slid 200m over ice were airlifted from Mt Ruapehu in a dramatic high-altitude rescue on Sunday.

The drama unfolded on the southern slopes, east of the Turoa ski field, about 2pm.

Greenlea Rescue Helicopter pilot Nat Every believed a group of about five had been making their way up to the summit when clouds that began to form higher up the mountain caused them to turn back.

He believed the men had taken a wrong turn on their way down the mountain and had not seen the 15m drop until it was too late, though one man was able to stop before he reached the cliff edge.

Four of the men tumbled over the drop then slid on ice about 200m to the Mangaehuehu Glacier below.

The glacier sits at an altitude of more than 2000m. The alarm was raised by alpine rescue staff and several rescue helicopters responded.

A 22-year-old man from Clevedon, in Auckland's south-east, was airlifted to Middlemore Hospital with serious spinal injuries, while two others were flown to Rotorua Hospital, one suffering a head injury.

A fourth man was uninjured after the fall.

Mr Every said the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was unable to land on the steep slope, so "hover-loaded" the three injured skiers and snowboarders one at a time before flying them to the Turoa Medical Centre in three separate trips.

The 22-year-old was later picked up by the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter and delivered to Middlemore Hospital about 5pm.

He was conscious at the time.

The two others were transported to Rotorua.

Mr Every said he believed the group was initially made up of about five Auckland men aged between 20 and 40, who were forced to turn back from their hike to the summit amid deteriorating visibility.

One of the men who slid over the cliff was uninjured, one had "a few knocks to his head" and another was "walking wounded", Mr Every said.

"They slid an awfully long way - a couple of hundred metres - before they stopped.

"They were well and truly outside the ski area boundary but the ski patrollers did a bloody marvellous job of getting to them and helping co-ordinate the recovery."

Mt Ruapehu Ski Areas customer relations manager Annah Dowsett could not comment on the latest incident because it happened outside the ski field boundary.

"When you leave the ski area boundary there are very, very clear signs. "You have to go under a rope to get out."