Mountain guide rescued from Mt Tasman 'very lucky' after being hit by falling rock

Monday, 5 December 2016

A local mountain guide rescued from Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park is 'lucky' to have escaped life-threatening injuries after being hit by a falling rock on Monday. 

The Aoraki/Mt Cook-based Department of Conservation (DOC) Alpine Cliff Rescue Team received a callout to Mt Tasman after a personal locator beacon was set off at 2.25am on Monday. 

Senior Sergeant Antony Callon, of Timaru, said a woman got caught up in a rockfall at Syme Ridge on Mt Tasman. 

She sustained moderate injuries and was recovered at 8.30am, when she was flown to Christchurch Hospital. 

Westpac Rescue Helicopter crewman Rick Knight, of Christchurch, said the 42-year-old experienced mountain guide was traversing the mountain when she was hit by a falling rock. 

She was a 'well-respected' climber and lived in Aoraki/Mt Cook village. 

She was on a relatively flat area of the mountain when she was struck by the falling rock, which weighed at least 1 kilogram, Knight said. 

That force of the impact 'shattered' the top part of her arm, breaking it, he said. 

The rock also hit her in the face, causing facial injuries. 

She was 'very lucky' the injuries were not life-threatening, he said. 

A Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand media spokesman said the woman was an alpine mountain guide, and had been with a client at the time. 

She was stabilised at the scene by DOC crews, assisted by two other mountain guides, who were in the area where she fell. 

'They made their way to scene to provide assistance,' the spokesman said. 

Another team, which included a doctor, was on standby, but was not required. 

The injured woman was flown to the DOC base at Aoraki/Mt Cook, before being picked up by a Westpac Rescue Helicopter and taken to Christchurch Hospital, he said. 

Aoraki/Mt Cook-based DOC operations manager Mike Davies said it was not unusual for a climb to start so early in the morning. 

Climbers often started off very early to avoid the heat of the day.

'That's when the danger occurs,' Davies said.