Bold night rescue saves mountain man's leg

Night-vision goggles made the rescue helicopter's mission possible.

An Auckland man has avoided losing his leg thanks to a daring night-time rescue from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

Bruce Holden, 44, was yesterday in a stable condition after surgery at Rotorua Hospital. He was flown to safety by Taupo's Lion Foundation rescue helicopter on Saturday night.

Mr Holden had spent several hours in a snow cave built by a companion after he broke his leg while traversing the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

Emergency staff at the hospital told police he might have lost his leg if forced to stay there overnight.

"He had compartment syndrome," search and rescue officer Senior Constable Mark Bond said.

"He was bleeding internally into his leg, which fills the cavity and muscles up with blood, which puts pressure on everything."

Police were alerted to Mr Holden's plight at 5.45pm, and the helicopter reached him and his companion about 8pm, despite having to battle low cloud and snow to get to the snow cave, between Oturere Hut and the Emerald Lakes, on Mt Tongariro.

Mr Bond said sets of night-vision goggles recently acquired by the helicopter made the rescue possible.

"There was no way we would've got to him. We can't fly at night in an alpine environment if we can't see."

Pilot Dan Harcourt managed to land the craft 40m from the snow cave.

The crew spotted a light from a small torch coming from the cave.

Mr Holden's cellphone battery had gone flat, and the message he was injured was relayed by members of a group he had been tramping with who continued on to Oturere Hut.

Mr Bond said Mr Holden was well equipped to do the crossing and as long as people were prepared, it was fine to make the journey in winter.

Meanwhile, a man is in hospital with serious head and facial injuries after snowboarding off an 18m cliff on Mt Ruapehu yesterday.

Mountain rescue paramedics carried him from the Turoa skifield on a sled before the Hastings-based Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter arrived and transported him to Hawke's Bay Hospital about 2.30pm.