Rescued tramper badly prepared, say police

Police have criticised a Wellington woman's lack of preparation after she was rescued from the Tararua Ranges yesterday.

Inspector Kevin Riordan said Louise Wilkinson, 49, who spent three nights trapped in atrocious weather, had no wet-weather gear and wore shoes ill-suited for a tramp on the rugged range.

"This is a rescue that maybe we shouldn't have needed to be involved in," Mr Riordan said after a team of more than 40 civilian, police and air force rescuers helped get Ms Wilkinson out of the bush just after 3pm yesterday.

She was facing a fourth night in the open after low clouds and strong winds earlier prevented an air force Iroquois landing at a site to which rescuers had carried her.

But just after the Iroquois abandoned its mission, a Masterton helicopter was able to get in and within 10 minutes, Ms Wilkinson and two paramedics were whisked to Masterton Hospital.

She would not comment on her ordeal.

Ms Wilkinson was suffering from mild hypothermia and a chest infection.

She was ill-equipped for the tramp and its conditions. Her shoes had practically fallen apart, she had insufficient food supplies and no raincoat.

Mr Riordan said anyone planning to tramp in the area needed wet-weather gear, good clothing, good footwear and experience.

The rescue required 30 civilian search and rescue team members, nine police including a medic, an ambulance paramedic and three helicopters, but Mr Riordan said the cost was not an issue.

"When there's someone to be rescued we go out and do that."

Tramping alone, Ms Wilkinson sent a text message to her brother for help on Tuesday when she was unable to get down from the area called Dress Circle on the Southern Crossing track.

The first rescuers arrived on Wednesday morning but atrocious weather, which saw more than 300mm of rain dumped on the range in the 24 hours to 9am Thursday, meant she could not be taken out.

Yesterday, with weather closing in again, it was decided to move her downhill to where a helicopter could land.

The rescuers -- many struggling under the weight of their own packs -- worked in shifts sharing the load as they wound their way down treacherous paths to reach a shelter camp 300 metres below.

Ms Wilkinson was later moved another 100 metres to a clearing where a helicopter could land.

- NZPA