KEY POINTS:
A man has been rescued after a night in the bush with a suspected broken ankle.
Palmerston North police search and rescue coordinator Sergeant Bill Nicholson said the man was flown from the Ruahine Ranges around 9am after a chilly night awaiting rescue.
The Hawkes Bay man was taken to Palmerston North Hospital with a suspected broken ankle.
He was hunting with a companion in the ranges about 8km northwest of Norsewood, in southern Hawke's Bay, when he suffered the injury while descending a track.
"They contacted police via cellphone at about 9.15pm last night and were able to provide a GPS location," Mr Nicholson said.
A search and rescue team of two police officers and eight volunteers from the Tararua area flew in at first light with a St John paramedic.
The man had to be stretchered to the nearby helicopter.
Mr Nicholson said the man's injuries were not life threatening and he was well equipped for a night in the open.
"He had good gear, he had company, we had good communications, if it had turned to custard they knew they could ring me straight away," he said.
It was fortunate the pair had cellphone reception but ideally hunters and trampers should carry mountain radios, he said.
"The other thing I keep pushing is emergency position beacons, the new 406 ones are an absolute godsend and I encourage people to buy them and register them with the rescue coordination centre."
By registering the beacon search and rescue could tell not only where but who required assistance.
EPIRBS or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons retail for $600-$800, he said.
"It's chicken feed compared to the peace of mind and the fact that they could save a life."
- NZPA
