Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Co-ordination Centre located and rescued a climber who fell on Boys Glacier in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park and spent a night out in freezing conditions.
A solo Dutch climber has been rescued after falling at Boys Glacier in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park while climbing and spending a freezing night on the mountainside.
The man, in his early 30s, raised the alarm at about 5.45pm yesterday.
He also told police via a 111 call that he had been injured in the fall and required help.
Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Co-ordination Centre initiated an operation to locate and retrieve the climber.
Due to weather conditions, the rescue team could not launch a helicopter operation to retrieve him until this morning.
Communications with the climber confirmed he was cold and wet but he was able to shelter in a sleeping bag for the night.
Keith Allen, a Maritime NZ senior search and rescue officer, said the co-ordination centre called the Department of Conservation (DoC) search and rescue team for its local knowledge and expertise.
“They were concerned for the climber’s welfare in the cold overnight, with hypothermia and frostbite real risks, but determined a helicopter operation could not be launched until morning.”
The climber’s shelter had been compromised during the night and he and all of his belongings had become completely saturated.
“We had a HeliOtago air ambulance on standby, but they were not needed in the end as the climber was rewarmed and assessed by the search and rescue team and had no significant injuries,” said Allen.
DoC search and rescue project lead Scotty Barrier said a helicopter was able to nose into the steep terrain so rescuers could jump out, rope together and traverse to the climber to extract him.
He was found in a potential avalanche path and rescued just before 9am today.
“The climber did the right thing by using the DoC intentions system at the visitor centre, which meant staff had a good idea of his itinerary. He was also carrying a personal locator beacon which is vital equipment for those heading into the mountains,” Barrier said.
“This incident is a reminder for people venturing into unforgiving terrain in the mountains in winter that the environment and weather need the utmost respect. It’s also important to carry a weatherproof shelter for emergency situations.”
