Hunter rescued after breaking ankle

A one-day hunting trip ended early for a 54-year-old Nelson man this morning (6 June, 2014), after he broke his ankle before fog had even cleared the valleys.

The man activated his registered personal locator beacon at 9am, after the accident in Fraser Gully, north-west of St Arnaud.

Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) search and rescue mission coordinator Dave Wilson said fog in the valley slowed the rescue initially, but the man was winched aboard the Nelson-Marlborough Rescue Helicopter shortly before 11am and taken to Nelson Hospital.

“Because the beacon was registered we were able to contact the man’s wife and quickly establish what his plans were,” he said. “He was only going hunting for the day so he’s been unlucky injuring himself before he’s really got started. But the situation would have been a lot worse without the beacon – the nights are getting pretty cold up there and he could have been waiting some time for the alarm to be raised.”

It is a legal requirement for distress beacons to be registered – it’s free online at: beacons.org.nz

ENDS

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