Crater crash pilot trekked for help on broken ankle

Pilot Bruce Lilburn saved the lives of the passengers after his helicopter crashed into Crater Lake, Nicola Patrick, head of the Department of Conservation's Ruapehu Centre said last night.
They were his co-pilot Adrian Tetherbridge, 38, of Taupo and DoC workers George Taylor, 37, of Whakapapa, Ross Martin, 34, of Turangi and Melissa Vedder, 26 of Owhango.
Mr Lilburn, 36, of Helistar Helicopters, Taupo, crashed-landed the Hughes 500 helicopter into the northern side of Mt Ruapehu 's Crater Lake on Monday soon after take off, hitting the side of the lake and falling into the water.
"It is absolutely amazing everyone is alive. Mr Lilburn made a huge difference to the passengers' survival. He scaled an ice wall and then walked for an hour on a broken foot to raise the alarm for his injured passengers. It was very difficult to do, " Ms Patrick said.
Yesterday she flew over the crash site, but said it was impossible to see the helicopter.
"It is in an overhang under an ice cliff. The whole area is very dangerous, covered in ice and snow.
"The passengers climbed out of the water on to a ledge between the lake and the ice wall. They were all wet, lying in very wet, very cold, nasty conditions and could have died from hypothermia.
The DoC workers had been monitoring Crater Lake and were being flown out about 5.30pm.
Mr Lilburn walked toward the Whakapapa skifield, where he came across trampers with a cellphone who called for help. Ms Patrick said the passengers were long-lined by helicopter up out of the lake to the rim of the crater.
All received hospital treatment and were discharged yesterday.
With rising lake levels it was essential monitoring of the Crater Lake continued to be done on a fortnightly basis, she said.
Recovering the wrecked helicopter would be difficult, "We will continue to try and secure the wreckage and remove it if possible. We will be doing our own investigation into the accident as well as contributing to that of Civil Aviation and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission."
Meanwhile Helicopter Services pilot Pete Masters, who was one of those dispatched to the scene of the crashed Hughes 500, has told NZPA it seemed Mr Lilburn had been forced to crash-land after an apparent error in judging the wind direction in the tricky conditions on takeoff.
"He actually did a pretty amazing job because when he realised he couldn't fly out he then committed himself to crashing in the best place he could find," Mr Masters told National Radio.