The Rotorua man who saved two Auckland trampers caught for two days in a blizzard on the Kaimanawa Ranges last month has been honoured by his city.
Brian Pickering, the 52-year-old nursing consultant who stumbled on hunters John and Matt Painting as they sank into the acute stages of hypothermia on
September 25, yesterday received a certificate of appreciation from Rotorua mayor Grahame Hall at a civic ceremony.
On hand were search and rescue crew and the Painting family.
Senior Constable Cliff Jones, who led the Turangi-based rescue team that brought the trio back, congratulated Mr Pickering for his courage and calm.
Mr Pickering had dragged the delirious father and son from a ridge in a freezing blizzard and helped them into a more sheltered gully.
He put them into sleeping bags and rang police on his cellphone, then kept the pair conscious until the rescue team arrived.
"It is possibly the most dramatic thing I have ever been involved with," said Senior Constable Jones.
"Every hour we spoke to him we could hear he was getting worse, and at this stage John and Matt were just grunting.
"It came down to poor preparation, and going into the mountains at that point wasn't the best thing to do and we're just lucky Brian stumbled on them."
