Source: New Zealand Police
A mountain biker’s extreme training session took a dangerous turn when he became stranded in Northland bush, losing daylight and becoming hypothermic.
Northland Police SAR lead, Detective Sergeant Paul Overton, says the biker had set off from Kerikeri on Saturday.
“He was aiming to push his limits on the Department of Conservation tracks in the Waimamaku Range,” he says.
“Unbeknown to him, he missed a crucial turnoff and underestimated the terrain and weather conditions.”
The alarm was raised by the stranded mountain biker at about 8.30pm that night.
“Fortunately, the man had enough cell phone coverage and was able to speak with Police,” says Detective Sergeant Overton.
“We were able to get his exact location via GPS on the phone.”
The biker had intended to bunker down overnight and ride out the following day, however Police made the decision to rescue him as he only had light clothing, no shelter and the weather conditions were rapidly deteriorating.
A coordinated response was launched, involving Police and Far North LandSAR volunteers.
“The tracks proved extremely challenging, with the team taking 2.5 hours to walk just 5km to reach the lost person about midnight,” he says.
“By the time we reached him the biker was in a bad way.
He was soaking wet with hypothermia already setting in and struggling to walk.”
With helicopter extraction not possible due to poor weather, the team worked quickly to warm and feed the man before beginning a slow and steady walk out, which took another four hours.
“A farmer, whose property borders the ranges, helped bring the man the last few kilometres across paddocks to his home where he gave him and the rescue team hot drinks,” Detective Sergeant Overton says.
“The biker did the right thing by calling Police and staying put.”
Despite the successful outcome, the incident has prompted a warning Police of the importance of thorough preparation when undertaking activities in isolated or challenging environments, either on land or at sea.
“With summer approaching and longer days people want to get out and about and enjoy Northland’s great outdoors.
“People need to make sure they have adequate clothing, navigation tools, and know what the weather forecast is.
“They should also have some kind of communication device like a phone and in case of an emergency situations having an EPIRB could save a life.”
Detective Sergeant Overton expressed thanks to the farmer and the Far North LandSAR volunteers for their help.
“Police train together with the LandSAR volunteers for these scenarios,” he says.
“The teams know how to work together efficiently, making real-life rescues faster, safer, and more effective.”
ENDS.
Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police
