Pack cushioned helicopter crash survivor

By JO-MARIE BROWN

The hunter who survived a helicopter crash in dense bush near Lake Waikaremoana was partly saved by his pack, which cushioned the impact, says his daughter.

Barry Watkins, aged 58, of Paengaroa, was in a stable condition in Rotorua Hospital yesterday after being rescued from the crash site on Wednesday. He was the only survivor.

Pilot Tony Worsfold and Mr Watkins' hunting partner were killed when their Robinson R44 helicopter crashed in the Urewera National Park on Monday.

Close relatives of the second victim have yet to be told of his death.

Mr Watkins' daughter, Selina Thacker, said he was devastated by the loss of best friend of 20 years.

"It was just so hard for him because he was the only one in there alive for two days on his own."

The pair were on their annual deer-hunting trip but bad weather meant Mr Worsfold could not fly in on Friday to pick them up as arranged.

After making five or six attempts over the weekend, Mr Worsfold found the pair on Monday afternoon and asked which one of them was the lighter.

"Barry's friend said he was by one kilo so the pilot said, 'Okay Barry, you get in the back'."

The men's packs, which would normally hang beneath the helicopter, were loaded in the back with Mr Watkins so the pilot could fly in low cloud, Mrs Thacker said.

"So when they crashed he had lots of cushioning. That was probably a factor that saved him."

All three men were still inside the helicopter after the crash but a fire soon broke out behind Mr Watkins' seat.

Mr Watkins, the only one conscious, struggled out of his harness, revived Mr Worsfold and helped him to escape. Mrs Thacker understands her father's friend was already dead.

"It was terrible. Because all their guns were still in the helicopter when it was burning, all the bullets were going off and the canisters from their cookers were exploding."

Twenty minutes later, Mr Watkins watched as the pilot died from his injuries.

"It'll take him a while to come to grips with what's happened," Mrs Thacker said.

Mr Worsfold's partner, Karen Cairns, was also struggling yesterday to come to terms with the deaths. She had raised the alarm when the 42-year-old failed to return on Monday.

Mr Worsfold, who started his Heli-Kiwi company almost three years ago, was an experienced pilot who knew the difficult national park terrain inside out, Ms Cairns said.

"He was a very, very careful pilot. He had flown in the hills there for years."

Crash investigators were flown into the scene yesterday and both bodies were recovered.

Investigators will interview Mr Watkins today to determine the cause of the crash. Autopsies will also be done today.