Woman Rescued In Night Winch Mission

The Wellington-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter winched an injured tramper from the Tararua Ranges earlier last evening.

The helicopter was notified of the injured woman just after 6:09pm and responded with two Wellington Free Ambulance helicopter paramedics at 6:15pm.

A Wairarapa Search and Rescue member was in the area of the injured woman and was able to establish communications via radio -- NB -- Wairarapa Police will be putting out a media release which should give more details of what happened on the ground. The injured woman was located near the Totara Creek Hut in the Tarauara Forest Park.

Upon our arrival overhead the two WFA paramedics were winched to the scene and the helicopter landed nearby waiting for the paramedics to stabilise the patient.

As we understand it the 45 year old Wellington woman was tramping with several other people, including her daughter, when she fell aprox two metres down a bank injuring her hip and face.

"It was quite a challenging mission in the end" says Westpac Rescue Helicopter crewman Dave Greenberg. "Given her hip injury we had to use a stretcher to rescue her and given the narrow area we were winching in it was quite a high winch - we probably would not have been able to attempt the winch rescue without our Night Vision Goggles".

The woman was transported to Wellington Hospital where she is currently being assessed and treated.

ENDS

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