Right and wrong – rescue teams have day of extremes

"One was a great example of all the right things to do when you go tramping," said Hawkes Bay Search and Rescue co-ordinator Sergeant Luke Shadbolt. "The other was a classic case of what can go wrong when you are not prepared."

A 23-year-old man walked out of the Kaweka Ranges late on Wednesday afternoon after he got lost in the bush while on a one-day tramping trip.

The Taradale man did not leave any information about where he was going, and was ill-prepared for his trip. He had only light clothing and no emergency equipment or knowledge of the area.

About 20 search and rescue civilians and police were sent into the bush to look for the man, who had been reported missing by family members.

Also on Wednesday, the national Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Wellington picked up a signal from an emergency locator beacon, also in the Kaweka Ranges.

A man and two women from Hamilton activated the beacon when one of the women became mildly hypothermic. The Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter was able to locate them quickly and returned them to their vehicles.

The woman was treated by a rescue chopper paramedic.

The time between the beacon being activated and the group being picked up was only 54 minutes, Mr Shadbolt said.

"The group of three did everything right. They were well-prepared, experienced and had all the right equipment. They just got caught out by the changing conditions.

"On the other hand, the young man did everything wrong. Not only did he put his own life at risk, but all our search staff had to battle 90km/h gusts and 3C temperatures. It was ferocious weather and very dangerous."

Police had spoken to the man, who admitted he was not well-prepared for his trip.

Mr Shadbolt said the use of emergency locator beacons was essential for anyone going tramping.

The beacons transmit a signal that is received by a satellite and can be picked up at the rescue centre.

This can narrow a search area down to a few square kilometres and increase the chances of rescue.

- NZPA