Rescue helicopter sent to Wakatipu High School camp after student injured

A rescue helicopter has been dispatched to the Waikatipu High School Branches camp after a student was injured.

Principal Oded Nathan said the chopper was called after a girl fell and was injured.

“We felt it was best to get her to the hospital to make sure everything is okay,“ he told the Herald.

He said the girl was in a stable condition.

The camp is in a remote area, making access difficult for emergency services.

In 2019, 224 Wakatipu High School students and staff were evacuated from the camp after flooding, with helicopters and 4WD vehicles used to bring them home.

Some students were flown out for medical reasons or because the terrain was inaccessible, while others hiked through flood-damaged areas to meet vehicles.

Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.