The Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter was last night dispatched to the Eastern Ruahine Ranges, north of Woodville, to search for a missing hunter who had become separated from companions.
Palmerston North Police Search and Rescue had concerns for the safety of the inexperienced hunter and co-ordinated the search operation which required the Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter to be equipped with a NITESUN Search light, FLIR Camera and the crew wearing Night Vision Goggles.
The uninjured missing man, in his 20's, was able to signal to the searching crew with a torch and was then hover-loaded into the helicopter and recovered to a nearby road-end just before midnight.