Quad and mountain bikers rescued over weekend in two separate incidents

Search and rescue members in Canterbury braved torrid rain and dense forest over the weekend to successfully carry out two rescues.

A quad bike rider in Ashley Forest and a group of mountain bikers near Lewis Pass were extricated from their respective locations after being found by rescue volunteers.

The first operation on Saturday afternoon began when police were called to help the injured quad bike rider.

Dense forest combined with challenging weather conditions made the rescue hard to carry out, police said in a statement, so the Oxford Search and Rescue team was activated.

Police credited the team for failing to be deterred by wet and dark conditions as they carried out the rescue with professionalism.

Search and Rescue team members carry out an operation in Ashley Forest. Photo / NZ Police

The injured person was reached in the forest and successfully extracted, taken to paramedics who provided medical aid.

Later that night, a second rescue was required in Canterbury when a locator beacon was activated at Pool Hut - on the St James Cycle Trail near Lewis Pass.

The closest Search and Rescue team based in Hanmer Springs was called on due to deteriorating weather conditions.

Team members used four-wheel drives to reach the hut and extract two mountain bikers from the scene.

The bikers, who were not injured, were safely returned to their vehicles.

“Again, this is another example of volunteers sacrificing their time to be a part of these life-saving operations,” a statement from Canterbury police read.

“Police are proud of the dedication and care of our LandSAR volunteers and we would like to thank them for the help that they give both Police and our communities.”