Callouts keep rescuers busy

Rotorua's BayTrust Rescue Helicopter was kept busy over the weekend.

Rescue helicopters have been busy over the weekend attending to several callouts in the region.

On Saturday, a hunter who fell ill was airlifted by the Rotorua-based BayTrust Rescue Helicopter from Lake Tarawera to Rotorua Hospital. The chopper was dispatched shortly after 12pm to assist the 67-year-old man who needed immediate medical help.

A helicopter spokesman said an advanced paramedic was winched down to the hunter's location with equipment and stabilised the man. He was then able to make his way to a waiting boat and was transported a short distance to where the helicopter was able to land. He was flown to Rotorua Hospital for further assessment and released later that day.

Meanwhile, a 51-year-old German tourist collapsed and died while hiking with his wife on Mt Ngauruhoe in the Tongariro National Park on Saturday.

Taupo's Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was deployed with a Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organisation team but low cloud, strong winds, and rain meant they were only able to get rescuers to the base of Mt Ngauruhoe.

Land Search and Rescue volunteers were then forced to make their way up on foot to recover the man's body.

The death has been referred to the coroner, police said.

Pilot Nat Every said the cause of death was medical-related and while they had been busy attending to callouts at Tongariro Crossing, that wasn't anything unusual.

"There are 80,000 people each year that go through the crossing. If you sprain your ankle in the local park you can hobble over to your car but three hours in the crossing, you can't get out. It's just an isolated area."

Mr Every said callouts were frequent as a lot of people went through the crossing in a short period of time.

Turangi Alpine Shuttle driver Colin Baker said people needed to take precautions when climbing Mt Ngauruhoe or tackling the crossing.

He spent several years working on the mountain and was previously a volunteer hut warden.

"Injuries are happening too often to be honest. A lot of it has to do with the fact that climbers are used to being around sea level. People often underestimate the altitude, even on the Central Plateau, it's not that high but altitude does have some effect on you," Mr Baker said.

He said some visitors also underestimated how fast weather conditions could change.

"You see a lot of people go up there in the wrong dress code, they're not prepared for the four seasons in one day that we have."

The Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was also called to Aratiatia on Saturday where a 51-year-old man had been kicked by a horse. He was flown to Waikato Hospital with serious leg and pelvic injuries.