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An exhausted climber was airlifted off Mt Pirongia in dramatic circumstances yesterday, in one of a series of weather-related emergencies.
The Hamilton man, 25, called 111 on his cellphone as he was walking to the summit in the Waikato just after midday.
He apparently told police he was too exhausted to go on.
The Rotorua-based BayTrust rescue helicopter made several attempts to find the man during a 90-minute search in thick cloud, said spokesman Barry Vincent.
"He was very happy to see us when we found him."
