Five climbers have been rescued from Mt Egmont/Taranaki following a large-scale emergency response after the group became stranded on the mountain yesterday afternoon.
Emergency services were alerted about 2:15pm when reports indicated a climbing party was in distress, with one person requiring CPR.
A coordinated search and rescue operation involving RCCNZ, LandSAR, Alpine Cliff Rescue, Civil Defence and multiple helicopter operators was launched, though poor weather initially prevented aircraft from reaching the summit.
Ground rescue teams began ascending the mountain before a temporary improvement in conditions allowed helicopters to access the area.
The first climber, who was in critical condition, was extracted about 6:20pm, with the remaining four rescued shortly afterwards by 6:50pm and transported to hospital. One person remains in critical condition, two are seriously injured and two suffered moderate injuries.
Search and Rescue Incident Controller Acting Sergeant David Bentley said the group was fortunate to survive, noting that without the brief break in weather “there was a very good chance we would have been dealing with fatalities,” and praised the swift response of partner agencies involved in the operation.
Image credit: Tyler Lastovich
