S&R volunteers praised

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 447, 4 August 1992, Page 5

S&R volunteers praised

The goodwill of local search and rescue volunteers needs acknowledging in searches such as Saturday night's call-out to find a 28-year old Auckland skier, according to DoC officer Rob McCallum. Hamish Marshall, 28, of Mt Eden Auckland failed to turn up at the Turoa Ski Resort carpark at an agreed time of 5pm, so a search was mounted for him. Mr McCallum said the search organisers, who were paid staff of the Department,' really relied on the volunteers to be able to mount such searches. "We couldn't do without their local knowledge and their experience," said Mr McCallum. "And they go out in all weathers, putting their own lives at risk - for no pay." Mr Marshall went missing in white-out conditions on the mountain, becoming disorientated in cloud. Visibility at the time was 50 to 70 metres, with a 15-knot wind and it was minus 5° Celcius. Turoa Ski Patrol staff re-swept the field

but Mr Marshal was not found. Department of Conservation staff, Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organisation (RARO) people, ski patrollers and Ohakune S&R volunteers then mounted a search for the man. His skis, and footprints leading away from the ski area, were found at 7pm west of the ski field road. The search was then centred on the Mangaturuturu Valley, with 12 of the searchers fanning out down the valley in search of further footprints. He was tracked to a spot about an hour's hike below the Mangaturuturu Hut, by DoC officer John Luff. S&R volunteer John 'Luigi' Hotter treated the man on-site, before he was taken to the Mangaturuturu Hut, arriving at about 2am. He was suffering from mild hypothermia, exhaustion and sore, raw feet, having ditched his ski boots after leaving the snow line. All searchers stayed at the hut overnight. At 9.30am Sunday morning the weather cleared enabling the Waimarino rescue helicopter, piloted by Chris Green, to fly the

patient out. Mr Marshall had two things in his favour, said Mr McCallum. He was reasonably well clad for the conditions and he had firm plans to meet friends in the car park, so when he failed to show, they were certain of the need for a search. The search was the fourth in the Ohakune area in the past eight weeks, with three of them having been on Mt Ruapehu. Another factor in Mr Russell's favour was the use of new head lamps, paid for from a fund-raising effort oraganised by the Ohakune Hotel, said police constable Greg Phillips. Broken leg Whakapapa Ski Patrollers rescued a woman in her 30s from Ruapehu on Sunday morning after she slipped and fell into a gully, breaking her leg. The accident happened at about 11.30am in the National Downhill area. The woman was flown from the mountain by helicopter due to the difficult terrain.