The rules for motorcyclists on Lake Hawea Station are likely to change after an unusual crash involving three trail bike riders on Sunday.
Station owner Tom Rowley told the Otago Daily Times yesterday he was considering the idea of requiring riders using station roads to carry emergency locator beacons or satellite phones with them.
''I think it is the least we could expect.''
On Sunday, three young men, each on their own trail bike, missed a corner and crashed down a 10m gully into Breast Creek.
''It was a right-angled corner and they were just going too fast,'' Mr Rowley said.
They were on the Lindis side of the Grandview Range, about 10km from the nearest public road.
Mr Rowley said the three failed to meet other members of the group, who passed the crash scene without realising their companions had gone over the bank.
''When they take a shortcut like that, or try to fly, you can easily miss them,'' Mr Rowley said.
With the weather deteriorating, Mr Rowley suggested the riders start searching. The least injured of the three was then encountered walking out of the area.
Mr Rowley said there was heavy rain and it was ''as windy as hell'', and the three were lucky to be found.
''We raced down there and got them as comfortable as we could, and warmed them up.''
One man was flown to hospital with moderate to serious rib and shoulder injuries.
Mr Rowley said because of the conditions it was tricky getting a helicopter in.
He believed, having seen the effort required to rescue the riders, requiring them to carry an emergency beacon was appropriate.
''That would be, I think, a minimum requirement from now on.''
The bikes involved in the crash were trail bikes, not quad bikes as information provided to the media stated.
