Wakatipu Alpine Cliff Rescue plucked an unprepared Italian walker from the Remarkables mountain range on Monday night. After he called for help on his cellphone, team members rescued him about 9pm using an HET (human external transport) system — a strop beneath a Heliworks aircraft.
Heliworks is contracted by Lakes District Air Rescue Trust. The Italian was uninjured and did not need to go to hospital. Team leader Rupert Gardiner said the man was about 500m above the main road on the west face.
"This was some guy completely unprepared and also unfamiliar with the terrain," he said.
"We’re getting a few of these and it puts rescuers at risk. It’s generally late, we have to fly around in helicopters with the light fading to try and find them. It’s always a risk."
Mr Gardiner said the team wanted to remind people of the need to be prepared.
"When they’re going out on little day walks around the area, or whatnot, they need to go prepared with the right footwear, clothing, food and water.
"They need to check the weather forecast and only go out if it’s going to be good."
Mr Gardiner said the weather was closing in and had the man not had a cellphone, he might not have been found so quickly, within about an hour and a-half.
It is believed he had walked down from the lookout.
"He’d just got himself into a spot where he was stuck: he couldn’t go down further and there was no way he could go back up."
In October, two Australian climbers were rescued by helicopter from the Remarkables after spending 10 hours shivering on a ledge. Fortunately, they were much better prepared for the conditions.
