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Story: Search and rescue

Volunteers at work

Image
A large group of people in tramping clothing walk on a steep hill in fog.

A Wellington volunteer search and rescue team carries a tramper suffering from hypothermia to a helicopter landing site in the Tararua Range. The woman became stranded on a ridge in bad weather while tramping alone in January 2005, and texted for help on her cellphone. the SAR team, carrying heavy packs, battled driving rain and gale-force winds to reach her. Weather conditions meant that she could not be airlifted from the mountains for several days.

Using this item

Wellington Land Search and Rescue

by Wayne Stevens

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick and Dan Clearwater, Search and rescue – Volunteers, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/13212/volunteers-at-work (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick and Dan Clearwater, published 2 March 2009, reviewed and revised 27 July 2023 with assistance from Dan Clearwater.