Cliff mercy mission a 'woohoo' experience

Swinging from the bottom of a 20m winch line attached to the Auckland Westpac rescue helicopter - her ankle broken in three places - Anne Clark yelled: "Woohoo."

The 56-year-old, husband Murray and two friends were two hours into the three-day Hillary Trail in the Waitakere Ranges in December when she slipped.

Her foot twisted 90 degrees and the bone in her ankle poked out of the skin.

Lacking cellphone coverage, the friends ran to get help while Mr Clark stayed with his wife.

About an hour later, the couple heard the blades of the police Eagle helicopter which had been called to locate the pair for the ambulance.

Two St John paramedics and a policeman arrived soon after, tramping down a steep cliff face to administer morphine and put Mrs Clark's leg in a splint.

They were unable to carry her back to the ambulance because of the steep terrain and slippery conditions, so called the Westpac helicopter. When it arrived, a crew member dropped down, strapped Mrs Clark in his harness and the pair were reeled back up.

"I love all the adrenalin stuff, so I tried to make the most of the winch experience," she said. "Unfortunately the morphine probably took away some of the thrill."

The helicopter landed on a hill above, where paramedics put Mrs Clark on a stretcher and flew her to Middlemore Hospital for a five-hour operation.