KEY POINTS:
An injured caver recovering in hospital after being trapped deep in a cave near Waitomo for 10 hours, today thanked her rescuers.
Jane Furkert, 38, last night became trapped in an underground cave with a suspected broken hip and smashed mouth following an eight metre fall.
Ms Furkert
is believed to have landed in a stream but was pulled from the water by a male caving companion.
She was finally freed at 1.30am today after a "challenging" rescue, which involved her being brought through the narrow and twisting caves suspended on a stretcher.
Ms Furkert is in a stable condition in an orthopaedic ward at Waikato Hospital.
"I'd like to thank all those involved in my rescue. They did a wonderful job," she said.
Ms Furkert said she was too tired to deal with media inquiries but would consider interview requests on Monday.
Search and Rescue co-ordinator Phil Bell said it appeared Ms Furkert had unhitched herself from a traverse line on a slippery ledge just prior to the fall.
Twenty-five trained cave search and rescue staff comprising caving guides and recreational cavers from around the Waikato region were involved in the rescue.
Last night a paramedic had stabilised Ms Furket - an experienced recreational caver and a member of the Nelson Caving Club - and was staying with her.
Senior Sergeant Robert Van Kalken said the couple, who were visitors to the Waitomo area, were about 45 minutes into the Luckie Strike underground cave system when the accident happened.
"A companion managed to pull her from the stream and cover her in a survival blanket before coming out to raise the alarm," he said.
The woman was conscious at the time her companion left her and resting on a ledge next to a waterfall.
Mr Van Kalken said police received the call for help about 2.35pm.
Caving experts, police, Search and Rescue and St John Ambulance staff rushed to the scene, which is about 20 minutes west of Waitomo in the Waikato.
Mr Van Kalken said professional cavers made their way to the injured woman to comfort her until more help could arrive. By 6pm that help was still making its way through the challenging caving system.
The lengthy extrication was due to the complex system which is described as "one of New Zealand's most physically demanding" commercial caves.
The Luckie Strike cave is on private property belonging to Kieran McKay, owner of Absolute Adventure which offers personalised caving experiences.
A woman familiar with caves last night told the Herald the rescue would be "really really challenging" given the need for a stretcher. She said several people would be required "to rig up a haul system for the stretcher".
"They will have to take her out through the streamway but it's like a very narrow canyon ... it's not just a flat stream bed, it's like an underground river that ... twists and turns and convolutes. They will have to climb up the waterfalls."
