Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Chopper rescues three stranded girls

By Kiri Gillespie
Bay of Plenty Times·
28 Nov, 2013 06:38 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The TrustPower TECT Rescue Helicopter plucked these three girls from the fast-flowing Mangakarengorengo River. Photo/John Borren.

The TrustPower TECT Rescue Helicopter plucked these three girls from the fast-flowing Mangakarengorengo River. Photo/John Borren.

One of three girls marooned on a rock surrounded by rapidly rising water in the Kaimai Ranges had just enough power on her phone to call for emergency services before it went flat.

The girls, aged in their mid to late teens, became trapped about 400m upstream from the main McLaren Falls swimming hole about 1.15pm yesterday. The incident sparked a callout by the TrustPower TECT Rescue Helicopter in the first rescue of its kind at the popular visitor attraction.

The girls, two from Auckland and one from Hamilton, were not hurt.

St John advanced paramedic Bill McNeilly said the girls had been rock-hopping along Mangakarengorengo River towards the bridge when the rocks they had been using became submerged.

"They had no idea they were going to have all this water come through," Mr McNeilly said. "The rocks started to disappear. The young girl had a cellphone with her but only 2 per cent battery, so she made an emergency call.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"They were a little scared obviously, but in good spirits."

Mr McNeilly was lowered from the rescue helicopter using the Port of Tauranga rescue winch to pick up each girl.

He said the distance between the rock and river bank was about 5 metres and the water was flowing too fast to rescue the girls by other means. It is understood one of the girls tried swimming but was nearly swept away.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tauranga senior station officer Kevin Cowper said it was the first rescue of its kind at McLaren Falls they had been involved in.

The rescue helicopter was lowered to about 15m above the girls, among large trees.

"That's pretty amazing flying skills," said Alice Campbell who joined a dozen others watching from the bridge.

"The river is not usually like this, but we have had a lot of rain. Normally people swim around this area [by the bridge], not up there."

Local Avi Finucane said he regularly swam in the area but not where the girls were rescued. "I'd say they are tourists because everyone around here would know not to swim up there," Mr Finucane said.

Fire crews from Greerton and Tauranga stations navigated the narrow, rocky banks to reach the girls and talk them through the rescue.

Firefighters with life jackets and rope were positioned down stream as "catchers", as a safety measure.

Tauranga police Senior Sergeant Carl Purcell said after about two minutes of climbing on to the rock, the water level had risen to a point where it became unsafe for the girls to wade back to shore.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Nine Lotto players win nearly $31k each in Second Division – where tickets were sold

06 Jul 05:31 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

06 Jul 03:55 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Region's first learning hub for migrant parents a 'transformative step'

05 Jul 06:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Nine Lotto players win nearly $31k each in Second Division – where tickets were sold

Nine Lotto players win nearly $31k each in Second Division – where tickets were sold

06 Jul 05:31 AM

Lotto First Division Powerball was not struck and has jackpotted to $10m on Wednesday.

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

06 Jul 03:55 AM
Region's first learning hub for migrant parents a 'transformative step'

Region's first learning hub for migrant parents a 'transformative step'

05 Jul 06:00 PM
'God-given right': Family defends largely unconsented homestead on rural land

'God-given right': Family defends largely unconsented homestead on rural land

04 Jul 08:45 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP