Source: Radio New Zealand
More than 40 people were evacuated after flooding and slips shut State Highway 2 between Matawai and Ōpōtiki on Friday. Police/Supplied
A local helicopter pilot helped bring stranded people to safety last night, after they were trapped in the Waioeka Gorge.
A police-led rescue was launched on a stretch of State Highway 2, between Gisborne and Ōpōtiki on Friday night, after dozens of people were stranded by huge slips caused by heavy rain.
Bay of Plenty Helicopters pilot Luke said he had made two rescues of four people, before being asked by police to begin taking people to Maunganuku carpark.
Luke said many people were confused.
” A lot of them just had a slip in front of them, they didn’t know there were multiple slips, so they were asking ‘are we going to be stuck here for the day, will it be cleared tomorrow, and what is going to happen to my car?’”
Luke said the people could have been taken to safety a lot sooner, if it was up to the local pilots.
“We could have got everyone out quite quickly and easily given we had most of the afternoon to do it, but things were sort of pushed out to the afternoon.
“It’s a very dangerous environment in there, there’s a single strand wire that criss-crosses all the way up so a lot of us operators we fly that a lot so we know the area.” he said.
It is believed Motu Helicopters were also involved in the rescue operations.
Police said more than 40 people were evacuated.
Eastern Bay of Plenty Area Commander Inspector Nicky Cooney said by midnight, helicopters had brought out everyone stuck between the slips.
“It’s been a significant effort to reach so many people who were trapped, and I want to acknowledge the efforts of local helicopter pilots, New Zealand Defence Force staff, local and regional councils, and Police Search and Rescue staff.
“It’s been a long operation, but we’re just thankful that everyone is safe – everyone we know about has been accounted for.”
Inspector Cooney said helicopters took the evacuated motorists to a local campsite, where an NZDF NH90 helicopter ferried them to evacuation centres at Matawai and Ōpōtiki.
“The recovery of the vehicles will take some time given the significant damage and number of slips through the gorge, but the main thing is nobody was hurt.”
Another eight people in two private addresses will be evacuated on Saturday morning.
Police said it will take some time to recover the vehicles given the significant amount of damage.
The Transport Agency said the stretch of road will be closed all weekend.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
