Icy bath for climber & rescuer

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 419, 14 January 1992, Page 3

Icy bath for climber & rescuer

Ohakune conservation officer Lisle Irwin swapped sitting in a warm office for crouching in a freezing waterfall, to help save the life of a Hastings man last Tuesday. James McKelvie, 18, fell into a crevasse at

Clay's Leap on Turoa Skifield at about 9 am on Tuesday moming along with his fellow climber Alex Bacchus. Mr Bacchus managed to get himself out of the crevasse and to the Turoa Skifield offices where Ohakune Department of

Conservation Field Centre Manager Lisle Irwin, District Conservator Paul Green and Turoa Skifield mountain manager Grant McMasters were conducting a business meeting. The three made their way to the crevasse

while the Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organisation (RARO) was put on standby. On finding the crevasse Mr Irwin was lowered into the hole to where Mr McKelvie was wedged between rock and ice, while icy water poured

on top of him. It was decided not to try to move Mr McKelvie because of suspected back injuries, so Mr Irwin stayed with him, trying to shelter the man and himself from the freezing waterfall, until more help arrived. (Mr Irwin said he was 'volunteered' by his boss, Paul Green, into the hole. He said Mr Green had argued that if it were he that was lowered into the crevasse they would not be able to pull him out again.) The two climbers had been camping in the crater area and were walking back down the mountain, near the Jumbo T Bar, when they fell. Mr Irwin said they had not seen the crevasse until it was too late. They fell about 15 metres into the large hole. Because Mr McKelvie was thought to have suffered back injuries, RARO was called and flown in to the site by helicopter. The Waimarino Search and Rescue Squad made their way to the site using the ski field chairlifts along with Department of

Conservation maintenance staff. Mr Irwin said all of the 18-strong rescue party were useful as the injured man was hoisted out in a stretcher, to avoid possible further injury. He was brought out of the crevasse four hours after falling into it; driven down the field by

snow cat, then flown to a carpark; then transferred to an ambulance and driven to Palmerston North Hospital. There he was placed under observation for a number of hours and treated for hypothermia and bruising, then discharged.