Oct 28 - An 80-year-old man who became badly dehydrated while tramping in Te Urewera National Park had to be had to be airlifted to hospital overnight.
The man was rescued by the Lowe Corporation helicopter after the Rescue Coordination Centre was alerted to an emergency beacon in the Lake Waikaremoana area about 10.30pm.
The helicopter crew narrowed the emergency beacon's location to the Sandy Bay Hut at the northern end of Lake Waikareiti, north of Lake Waikaremoana, which is about a four hour walk from the road.
A rescue helicopter spokeswoman said the landing site was challenging and the light was poor, but the helicopter was able to land in a tight space between the lake and the hut using night vision goggles and a large spotlight.
The helicopter crew found an 80-year-old Gisborne man suffering from severe dehydration and other medical complications.
