New Zealand incidents

[kymboy]

This is such a cheery thread
And a timely reminder not to underestimate the great Kiwi outdoors.
Keep up the latest reports, Wayno

[izogi]

We need a parallel thread to denote every occasion when someone puts a step into the NZ outdoors with nothing of significance happening besides that person enjoying their experience.

[wayno]

Sunday, 15 July 2018 - 11:17am
Tasman
Police have located the body of a tramper in Nelson Lakes National Park.

A search and rescue operation was launched yesterday after the man failed to return from a solo tramping trip on Friday, as planned.

His body was located about 9.30am today in the Mt Robert Range area and is due to be airlifted out shortly.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/ ... lson-lakes

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/105497 ... lson-lakes

[wayno]

A young man feared he would die alone on Mt Ruapehu after sliding to the very precipice of a sheer drop into a valley far below..

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti ... d=12089972

[wayno]

Heavy rain and thunderstorms halt search efforts for missing climber near Wanaka

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/105944 ... ear-wanaka

https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/public/n ... 80802a.asp

[wayno]

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zeal ... escue.html

[wayno]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/105976 ... a-mountain

[wayno]

Texas connection helped locate Australian soldier trapped on Mt Aspiring for 3 freezing nights

https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/ ... f-mountain

[RonK]

Sounds like he had a Spot. If he had an Inreach he could have told SAR about his condition and location, reducing the risk to the SAR team.

[wayno]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/ ... ional-park

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national ... red-advice

[wildwanderer]

The Australian solider who was rescued from Mount Aspiring last week is starting to cop a bit of bad press due to the cost of his rescue. Apparently, it was his 2nd NZ helicopter rescue. Previous one was Mount Tasman in 2013.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/106050 ... teer-hours

[wayno]

The Australian solider who was rescued from Mount Aspiring last week is starting to cop a bit of bad press due to the cost of his rescue. Apparently, it was his 2nd NZ helicopter rescue. Previous one was Mount Tasman in 2013.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/106050 ... teer-hours

the weather forecast was bad, thers a lot of snow up there , a bad weather forecast and avalanche danger, no one should have been up there then, they couldnt move him overloand because of the avalanche danger, because the weather was so touch and go they had to move with up to four helicopters simutaneously to get in and get out again with everybody involved in the rescue or risk having people stranded indefinitely.
one twin engined helicopter with one of the most experienced mountain pilots in NZ had to come from Te Anau a couple of hundreds of k's away, the helicopters had to be on standby for some time close by before the weather cleared briefly enough on more than one occasion to fly in.

welcome to nz, where the mountains can be clouded in for weeks at a time with little break in the weather. its one of the windiest inhabited place in the world, might be ok lower down but can be unfliable at higher altitude because of wind and turbulence in the mountains.
people talked about how terry's army training saved him, well if thats the way the army plan their missions , i don't think theres much there that's commendable, NZers werent up there climbing because they knew better. if he'd have taken any local advice he would never have gone in the first place...

[Aardvark]

I'm sure i'm not alone in believing one of the biggest motivations for being prepared in what one sets out to do, is to save themselves the inconvenience and possible embarrassment of needing a rescue.
Not to mention the debt one would feel to those who put themselves out. Someone has to absorb the cost.
I expect and hope this guy is suitably humbled.
He might be planning to be the next 'accident prone mountaineer' as i once heard Simon Yeats describe Joe Simpson.
Everyone loves to hear of a tragedy or a tale of hardship. If he ever publishes his actions in writing he should ensure proceeds go to the rescuers.
Particularly in light of being a second time offender.
I do recognise however, that needing a rescue is often just a 'hairs breath' from scraping through something without any consequences.

Touching the Volta

[wayno]

its the fact it was a needless rescue,,, if he had done due diligence and got injured then fair enough... but when you dont do due diligence its a needless waste of money baling you out... given he'd already needed rescuing, did he think it couldnt happen twice? he's not fighting for queen and country, he has every opportunity to quit at any time.

[Aardvark]

I'm sure some people think the existence of rescue services is a reason for them to set out to extend their abilities or test themselves.
It doesn't sound like this guy likes to build up a broad base of experience by tackling easier approaches to certain goals eg Aspiring, Tasman before taking a harder route.
But then we only know him based on media reports and they are always dubious.
This guy was in the army and perhaps of a mind that his former compatriots would have always wanted to test their supposed skills.
The ever present struggle in the minds of those who engage in rescue services whereby they want to test their ability or knowledge yet they don't want to create the need, could be easily exploited.

[izogi]

I'm mildly curious if his decision of attempting this when he did might have been influenced by a window between flight bookings, or something like that.

[wayno]

big advantage of getting a guide who has the best local knowledge for these sorts of climbs and can avoid these sorts of situations.
there is nt much guided climbing going on past april around there and doesnt really get going till oct

[wayno]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/otago/106118652 ... -to-happen

[jdeks]

The Australian solider who was rescued from Mount Aspiring last week is starting to cop a bit of bad press due to the cost of his rescue. Apparently, it was his 2nd NZ helicopter rescue. Previous one was Mount Tasman in 2013.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/106050 ... teer-hours

Can't believe I didn't hear about this until now.

I actually knew Terry. I trained with him for years, we were both part of a climbing club and did more than a few trips together.

I can't comment on his actions in this particular incident, but what I can say is I'm not even slightly surprised. While he was a nice guy, he had a reputation, even back then. I always found someone else to climb with.

I'd like to think this will humble him, but I expect it'll likely only serve as further encouragement.

[wayno]

​Every morning Grant Upson, a butchery manager, sends out meat orders - even when he's stuck on an ice ledge on Mt Taranaki.

A few years ago on one of his first rescues Upson, 49, was one of three members of the Taranaki Alpine Cliff Rescue who had gone to the aid of a lost snowboarder.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily- ... -ice-ledge

[wayno]

Fiordland mountain with a world-famous view continues to claim lives

https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times ... laim-lives

[wayno]

Man dies after falling into Mt Ruapehu's Crater Lake

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zea ... rater-lake

Fatal skiing incident at Mt Aspiring near Wanaka

http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/ ... ear-wanaka

[GPSGuided]

That’s so unfortunate and unexpected.

[wayno]

That’s so unfortunate and unexpected.

not unexpected... the places this happened are dangerous with steep slopes and massive vertical drops and a lot of people get into problems get injured in these places and some of them die...
if you make a big enough mistake , this is what can happen...
more inforation on the ruapehu death
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti ... d=12130014

[Aardvark]

a lot of people get into problems get injured in these places and some of them die...

but most don't..

[GPSGuided]

Unexpected in the sense of losing one’s life at a lunch stop. Sad.

[wayno]

a lot of people get into problems get injured in these places and some of them die...

but most don't..

those who know what they are doing are less likely to have something go wrong, these arent places for the complacent or those without the alpine skills, and the equipment to handle the conditions.

[Aardvark]

those who know what they are doing are less likely to have something go wrong, these arent places for the complacent or those without the alpine skills, and the equipment to handle the conditions.

No sane person would disagree with this..
The fact remains that it's only a small number out of all those who visit, who have something go wrong.

[wayno]

Death rate 'alarmingly high' in NZ mountains
"Christchurch forensic psychiatrist Dr Erik Monasterio, an experienced mountaineer, calculates an "alarming" death rate of 8.2 per cent"
"The figure is based on four climbing deaths, including two guides, among the 49 participants in the four-year study. The participants were mostly experienced climbers tackling difficult routes. "
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti ... d=10008412

Over the past decade more than 30 people have died in and around Mount Aspiring National Park,

https://www.smh.com.au/world/oceania/ex ... 4zv7z.html

NZSAR Fatality
Study
New Zealand Search and Rescue

between April 2010 and July 2017
Land-based activities resulted in 194 fatalities. Five activities were most frequently associated with
death and accounted for 75% of the land-based fatalities. They were:
1. Tramping (29%)
2. Hunting (15%)
3. Walking (12%)
4. Mountaineering (11%)
5. Commercial (8%)
Three mechanisms of death accounted for 81% of the Land-based fatalities. They were:
1. Falls (31%)
2. Drowned (26%)
3. Medical (24%)

https://nzsar.govt.nz/Portals/4/Publica ... 0Study.pdf

[Aardvark]

So it's agreed. Thousands of visitors likely and ONLY 30 deaths in Mt.Aspiring NP over 10 years.
Truth is they only have accurate figures on the negative outcomes. They wouldn't know how many actually visit.

We're just not doing our share when it comes to population mitigation.