A search and rescue medic has warned those entering remote areas to carry appropriate gear and be aware of the forecast, after two hunters found themselves in trouble in Fiordland yesterday, following heavy overnight rain.
A personal locater beacon proved a Christchurch hunting group's saviour in two separate incidents in the space of six days while they were hunting near the George Sound area, south of Milford Sound.
Two Christchurch men, aged 41 and 48, who were initially part of a five-man group, were left with no option but to alert the Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) about 5am yesterday when they woke up hypothermic and surrounded by water, after rivers rose overnight near Lake Marchant.
On Thursday last week, the same group alerted the rescue co-ordination centre using the same locater beacon, after one of the five fell, suffering a suspected broken leg.
The hunter, believed to be the brother of one of the men who was rescued yesterday, was picked up by the Southern Lakes rescue helicopter and taken to the Te Anau Medical Centre.
Canterbury Mountain Radios spokesman and Land Search And Rescue (LandSAR) medic Stewart Burnby said the second of the two incidents could have been avoided, had the men carried a mountain radio and kept up to date with the forecast.
The two Christchurch hunters found themselves two hours' walk from their base camp near Large Burn when they raised the alarm and were rescued about 11am by Southern Lakes Helicopters. Mr Burnby was on board as a medic.
''They couldn't get back to their base camp. The rivers had flooded around them and they started developing hypothermia.''
While the hunters were reasonably experienced in the area and carrying the locater beacon and appropriate clothing, they let themselves down by not allowing enough time to beat the heavy rain on Tuesday.
''We had to get them out of there and get them warm.''
''We are trying to educate people to keep an eye on the forecast. If they had had a mountain radio with them, they could have had the forecast and been well ahead of the weather,'' Mr Burnby said.
''A lot of these things can be avoided. Fiordland takes no prisoners.''
RCCNZ senior media and communications adviser for Maritime New Zealand, Steve Rendle, also urged those using areas like Fiordland to carry appropriate emergency and communications equipment.
''We accept conditions do change pretty quickly there;'' Mr Rendle said.
The mountain radios operate a 24-hour a day system that keeps trampers and hunters up to date with the forecast.
The second of the two men was yesterday picked up by Skyline's The Helicopter Line.
RCCNZ search and rescue mission controller Geoff Lunt said locater beacons were vital in both saving time and saving lives.
''For the second time on a single trip, this beacon has led to a positive outcome for what could have been a very serious situation.''
On Tuesday night, two other hunters became separated by unpredicted bad weather near the Haast Pass and also had to be rescued.
The two hunters activated their beacons about 6pm after they become separated at the Franklin Hut. One could not reach his hunting companion because of bad weather. He was eventually located by the Aspiring Rescue Helicopter, wet and cold but otherwise uninjured, and returned to the hut.
