A rescue mission to extract an 80-year-old man from Crosbies Hut, Coromandel, took 12 hours. Photo / Waihī Land Search & Rescue
A rescue mission to extract an 80-year-old man from Crosbies Hut, Coromandel, took 12 hours. Photo / Waihī Land Search & Rescue
Search and rescue teams worked for 12 hours to extract an elderly man from deep bush after he had run out of water and collapsed on a “challenging” trail in the Coromandel.
The rescuers are being hailed as “heroes” on social media after saving the 80-year-old man from harshconditions in the Kauaeranga Valley, near Thames.
Images show the man on a stretcher as he is pulled through the dense, steep terrain in the wet weather.
The man, who became lost while hiking, was first saved on Sunday night after a mum and her two children formed a human heat circle to keep him alive.
The rescuers are being hailed as “heroes” on social media after rescuing the tramper from harsh conditions. Photo / Waihī Land Search & Rescue
Henwood said a helicopter was deployed and reached the area but was unable to land because of deteriorating weather conditions.
A mother and her two teenage children staying at Crosbies Hut were contacted and asked to help. They formed a human heat circle to help warm the man before returning with him to the hut to await rescue, Henwood said.
Search and rescue teams worked for 12 hours to extract an elderly man from deep bush. Photo / Waihī Land Search & Rescue
12-hour extraction mission
The Waihī Land Search and Rescue team said members of LandSAR Waihi were called at 3am to assist.
“Four of our members teamed up with five from Thames SAR and made our way up towards Crosbies Clearing with the mule and stretcher,” Waihī Land Search and Rescue said.
Just over four hours later, they met up with another four members from Thames SAR who had been sent up late the night before.
“They had retrieved the lost party with them from Crosbies, and were very slowly walking him out.
“We pulled out a fly sheet to protect the patient from the rain while we prepared the stretcher, then loaded our patient ‘taco style’ and headed back down the way we came,” Waihī Land Search and Rescue said.
A backup team of three police SAR and some more Thames crew arrived a few hours later.
“With very slippery conditions underfoot, we set up rope systems for support while we navigated down slippery slopes,” they said.
About five hours later, the weather cleared enough for the Auckland Westpac Helicopter to be deployed and the man was safely winched from a clearing.
Search and rescue teams navigated some "challenging terrain" to get the elderly man to safety. Photo / Waihī Land Search & Rescue
The rescue crews were still an hour and a half from the carpark and arrived there just before dark.
“Big ups to our patient who was so quiet and patient while we navigated some challenging terrain.
“Multiple rescue organisations coming together for the same outcome – bringing the lost, missing or injured home to their families,” Waihī Land Search and Rescue said.
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