A 50-year-old American woman has been airlifted to Rotorua hospital with pelvic and chest injuries after she fell about 5m on Mt Ruapehu this afternoon.
She was initially recovered by the Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Team who had begun a stretcher carry operation because of the weather conditions.
Fortunately a brief clearing in the weather allowed the the Taupo-based Greenlea Rescue helicopter to meet the Alpine Rescue Team part of the way down the mountain.
The injured woman's stretcher was lifted into the hovering helicopter before she was treated lower down the mountain and flown to Rotorua Hospital.
