NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

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 / New Zealand

Second man falls down cliff at near Kiwiburn Festival at Hunterville

Whanganui Chronicle
26 Jan, 2018 04:00 PM4 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 Kiwiburn festival and surrounding landscape.

The Kiwiburn festival and surrounding landscape.

A second man has fallen down an almost vertical cliff near a festival in rural Manawatu.

Early yesterday morning, a young man was flown to Palmerston North Hospital in a critical condition after plunging 70m down the cliff at Vinegar Hill, near Hunterville, north of Palmerston North. He had been trying to get into the Kiwiburn Festival after hours.

Early this morning, the scene was repeated when another man fell - this time 100m - from the same spot.

Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman Craig Dally said they were called about 7.15am. Crews were able to get to the seriously injured man, but like the man injured a day before, he had had to winched out by helicopter.

The man had a broken leg, Dally said, but he was unsure of his other injuries.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

St John Ambulance couldn't be contacted.

No one at Palmerston North Hospital could be contacted to confirm each man's condition early this afternoon.

In yesterday's incident, the man was believed to have left the road above the Rangitikei River at 2am and clambered over a fence, then slipped and fallen through thick bush down the cliff.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Fire and Emergency central shift communications manager Carlos Dempsey described the overnight rescue operation as "dramatic and difficult".

A Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter spokeswoman said crews could hear the man but not see him through much of "incredibly intense" three-hour rescue mission.

Dempsey said fire crews Hunterville and Kimbolton and the rescue helicopter spent three hours in pitch darkness to find and reach the injured man who was trapped about 70m down the sheer cliff face.

The Kiwiburn festival is held near the Rangitikei River.
The Kiwiburn festival is held near the Rangitikei River.

The helicopter was eventually able to winch the stricken man out of danger, Dempsey said.

Discover more

Lifestyle

New support for LGBT camp

20 Mar 10:00 PM

"Access was quite difficult," he said.

The helicopter spokeswoman said the fire service forged the river to pinpoint the man's location and climb up to him.

When this was unsuccessful because of the nature of the terrain, they used a spotlight to find him.

"Shining a spotlight in his direction and getting him to call out allowed his general position to be located."

But even having a general position, the rescue helicopter struggled to find the injured man in the dense bush and trees.

The search was about to be called off when the man was finally spotted in a rock chute.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The helicopter winched a paramedic to the man to stabilise him and pulled him to safety about 20 minutes later. After paramedics provided further treatment at the nearby Reserve, he was flown to Palmerston North Hospital with critical injuries.

The founder of Kiwiburn - New Zealand's version of the Burning Man festival in Nevada - Mark Stirling said the man was part of a group of people who turned up in the early hours of this morning, but found the gate locked as the festival closed its doors overnight.

"So they just decided to park up and sleep and wait for the gate to open in the morning," Mr Stirling said.

"But they had a hitch-hiker with them, who also had a ticket, and he did not want to wait until morning.

"He apparently said stuff like 'oh it's a 24-hour party, we can go in any time'. So he got out of the car, jumped the fence in the darkness, and fell down a cliff."

Mr Stirling said the hitch-hiker got lucky with where he fell.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"If he had fallen the other way, either side, he would have had a significant freefall," he said.

"He decided that he wanted to break the rules, and unfortunately paid the price."

The Wanganui Chronicle was refused entry to festival site.
The Wanganui Chronicle was refused entry to festival site.

During Kiwiburn in 2016 a woman ended up in hospital after a large branch fell on a tent she was in at the festival site.

The incident led to a ban on camping in the forest area of the festival site, which is on private property on the banks of the Rangitikei River near Hunterville.

A St John spokeswoman said the man was still in a critical condition in hospital yesterday.

The Wanganui Chronicle was refused entry to the festival site by the landowner and festival organisers yesterday.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Swarbrick: Why NZ should consider a wealth tax on the ultra-rich

13 Jul 05:00 PM
New Zealand

The Front Page: Chlöe Swarbrick on taxing the ultra-rich and what's next for the Greens

New Zealand|education

Govt wants to increase international students by over 30,000 by 2034

13 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Swarbrick: Why NZ should consider a wealth tax on the ultra-rich

Swarbrick: Why NZ should consider a wealth tax on the ultra-rich

13 Jul 05:00 PM

Chlöe Swarbrick argues the current tax system is unfair on average New Zealanders.

The Front Page: Chlöe Swarbrick on taxing the ultra-rich and what's next for the Greens

The Front Page: Chlöe Swarbrick on taxing the ultra-rich and what's next for the Greens

Govt wants to increase international students by over 30,000 by 2034

Govt wants to increase international students by over 30,000 by 2034

13 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
Emails reveal Willis wanted Budget lock-up to be more restricted

Emails reveal Willis wanted Budget lock-up to be more restricted

13 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

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
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • 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