Tramper airlifted from Mt Ruapehu among a dozen rescues over Easter weekend

A tramper was rescued from Mt Ruapehu on Monday. Photo / Carly Udy

A tramper had to be airlifted off Mount Ruapehu over the long weekend after a historic back injury became aggravated.

The Rescue Coordination Centre NZ (RCCNZ) was alerted to the incident after the tramper activated their distress beacon.

RCCNZ manager Paul Craven said the rescue and many others like it over the Easter weekend should serve as safety reminders.

"These rescues really show the benefit of being prepared and having a plan in case things do go wrong," he said.

"Having the right emergency equipment, including a distress beacon, means help can find you faster.

"Having a registered beacon really takes the search out of search and rescue."

It was important people remembered to register their beacon or update their registration for example when purchasing a vessel with a beacon, Craven said.

He said registered a beacon online is free and only takes a few minutes.

"Keeping your beacon registration up to date means a quicker, more targeted response can be launched if you do get into trouble," Craven said.

"While it was a busy weekend for our team with so many people heading outdoors and on the water, it was great to be able to provide an efficient rescue response to these incidents."

There were a dozen search and rescue operations launched over the weekend following distress beacon activations.

The first was for the airlift of a Year 13 high school student who suffered a medical event during a school tramp in the Hopkins Valley, near Twizel, on Friday night.

Craven said the rescues would not be possible with other agencies like police, rescue helicopter teams, LandSAR, Coastguard, and other partners.

Other rescues over Easter included:

• At 12.30pm on Saturday, a distress beacon was activated in the Whanganui National Park where a motorbike rider had crashed and sustained rib and shoulder injuries. RCCNZ tasked the Taupo Rescue Helicopter to airlift the rider, who was taken to Waikato Hospital for treatment.

• On Sunday morning a pair of hunters activated their distress beacon at Cotter's Hut in the Hawea Conservation Park, after one of the group, a man in his 20s, broke his leg. He was airlifted to Wanaka Airport and transferred to Dunedin Hospital for treatment.

• On Sunday, a hunting group in the Kaweka Ranges activated their distress beacon after one of the group fell and cut his calf badly. The Hawkes Bay Rescue Helicopter airlifted the man to Hastings Hospital.

• Also on Sunday, a mother and daughter tramping the Kepler Track activated their distress beacon after suffering hypothermia. The Southern Lakes Helicopter took the pair to Te Anau for medical treatment.

• At about 11am on Sunday, a kayaker who had fallen out of their kayak set off their distress beacon near Peppin Island, near Nelson. The Garden City Nelson Helicopter was dispatched and found the kayaker clinging to rocks. The kayaker was winched on board and flown to Nelson Hospital for observation.

• On Monday, a pair of trampers were airlifted from Moss Pass, northwest of Lake Constance after one of the pair suffered a fractured ankle. The Garden City Nelson Rescue Helicopter airlifted them to Nelson Hospital.