Liz Wightwick and her husband Ian were in the middle of the Ruahine Range when Liz had a terrible fall that left her unable to walk on one leg for months. Photo / Supplied
Liz Wightwick and her husband Ian were in the middle of the Ruahine Range when Liz had a terrible fall that left her unable to walk on one leg for months. Photo / Supplied
A brief lapse in focus left Liz Wightwick with only one working leg after a one-metre fall in the middle of the Ruahine Range, two days away from anywhere.
It was only her reaction speed that allowed her to grab onto a tussock, saving her from an even worse accident.
The 62-year-old from Christchurch was heading down a steep ridge 1500 metres up on Mt Rongotea halfway through an eight-day tramp with her husband Ian last October when she tripped, “shredding” one leg on sharp rocks.
“I was really in shock because I could see that we were stuck,” Wightwick said.
“It was a two-day walk to get anywhere. And there’s blood pouring out.”
She said she was an experienced, enthusiast tramper who had been in New Zealand hills for decades, had spent an estimated 100 days tramping since the start of 2022 and had never had a major accident.
“I self-arrested and only fell one metre, which is phenomenal considering the circumstances,” she said.
“I could see myself going head-first down the hill, and I quickly reached with my right hand and grabbed a tussock and that swung me around. So I saved myself from a bad fall.”
She did not realise at first that an eight-centimetre gash had been cut into her leg.
The couple walked for two hours to reach the nearest hut 600 metres down the hill, where they were able to call for help with Wightwick’s personal locator beacon.
She said the helicopter pilot told her that if she had activated her beacon 30 minutes later, the helicopter would not have been able to land because the weather was getting worse.
She received 11 stitches and antibiotics for her wound at Hawke’s Bay Hospital, but an infection later on meant she needed a follow-up procedure to clean it up six weeks later.
It was two months before Wightwick could walk on the injured leg again and three months before she could start tramping again.
She said she was able to walk two hours downhill by January 21 and was able to do a three-day tramp by early February.
Since then she has been tramping nearly every weekend to make up for the lost time.
She said multiple factors, including fatigue and wet weather, contributed to the accident.
“Listen to yourself. If you are tired, either stop and rest or have a rest day. I didn’t listen to myself. I thought, ‘I can do this, I can carry on’.”
It took Liz Wightwick two months to be able to walk on her injured leg again and three months to be able to tramp again. Photo / Supplied
ACC played a leading role in Wightwick’s recovery, helping to fund her treatment, the air ambulance service, GP appointments, and physiotherapy.
ACC data shows tramping-related injuries generally peak between January and April, during warmer months and holidays.
There have been an average of more than 6500 tramping-related injury claims each year for the past five years according to ACC data.
ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker said it was great that people are getting out into nature and tackling New Zealand’s tracks and trails, but it was crucial to be prepared and make safe decisions.
NZ Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said it was easy to underestimate the importance of quality preparation and planning.
“Whether it’s a short walk, a day trip, or an overnight tramp, the bare minimum should be warm clothes (insulation layers and thermal base layers), a rain jacket, a head torch, extra layers, and an appropriate emergency communications device.”
