Man falls 100m down Mt Ruapehu

Turoa skifield, Mt Ruapehu.

A middle-aged man snowboarding with his teenage son injured his back yesterday after trying to retrieve a ski, outside the boundary of Turoa ski field at Mt Ruapehu.

The helicopter pilot who rescued him said it showed the importance of being careful and aware of boundary lines.

The Palmerston North-based rescue helicopter was called to the mountain at about 2pm yesterday, after the Cambridge man, in his 40s, fell down a rugged and icy slope while trying to retrieve one of his son's skis which had come loose.

The man was airlifted to the Turoa Ski field medical centre, and then transported to Palmerston North Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

He was due to be discharged today.

Rescue helicopter pilot Chris Mooney said the man fell about 100m after he lost his footing on a slope. He said the man and his son were skiing outside the boundary of the ski field, which would have made it difficult for the Turoa ski patrol to get him back up hill to the medical centre.

"It took quite a lot of resources away from the ski area, and it would of taken them many hours of work and a few more people to carry the patient from where he was," said Mr Mooney.

Last year British-born Caroline Johnston, died after she plunged 150m from the Whakapapa ski field. She had gone beyond danger signs to try to retrieve a lost snowboard and slipped on some ice.

"It just goes to show when you are out of bounds and things like that happen you have got to be really careful about considering whether or not you retrieve lost equipment," said Mr Mooney.