Rescuers keep injured man warm in tent overnight

An injured Wellington tramper spent a night sheltering in a tent with rescuers in freezing conditions in the Tararua Range.

The man, 61, fell and broke his leg on the East Holdsworth track in the Atiwhakatu Valley on Thursday afternoon while he was on a day tramp with two friends.

Senior Sergeant Warwick Burr, of Masterton, said one of the man's companions walked in snow and the dark for an hour to make her way out of the forest park at Mt Holdsworth to raise the alarm.

"It was snowing as she was making her way out. Even though they had cellphones, there was no coverage.

"Once she made it to the car park she then had to drive some way till she could pick up a signal. By that stage, it was dark and very cold."

A search and rescue team was sent in with a tent, warm clothing, medical supplies and food to keep the injured man warm and calm after a helicopter rescue was abandoned because of poor weather conditions.

Around 8.30am yesterday, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called in.

Helicopter crewman Dave Greenberg said the man needed to be winched from the bush. "The LandSAR guys did a fantastic job keeping the patient warm and comfortable.

"When we got into the area they let off a smoke flare so it was easy to pinpoint their location."

The tramper was flown to Wellington Hospital, where he had surgery to pin a badly broken leg.

- © Fairfax NZ News