Quick rescue for Nelson College student

25 June, 2015

A year 12 Nelson College student with a dislocated knee was in Nelson Hospital this morning within an hour of the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) receiving a distress beacon activation.

The activation from the school’s registered personal locator beacon was received at 7.30am, from Browning Hut, in Mt Richmond Forest Park, 15km south of Nelson.

RCCNZ Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator Dave Wilson said the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter winched the student on board and he was in hospital by around 8.30am.

“This operation was resolved very quickly, aided by the fact that the beacon was registered. That meant we had full details of the group involved – a party of 22 year 12 school students,” he said. “The clearing around the hut was not suitable for the helicopter to conduct a normal landing, so the helicopter performed a “hover lift”, where one of the helicopter skids was placed on the ground and the student was then able to be loaded aboard. It all went very smoothly thanks to the skills of the rescue helicopter crew.”

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