Stricken climbers plucked off Mt Cook, NZ

[Karearea]

A rescue helicopter had to jettison equipment to climb high enough to reach two exhausted climbers near the summit of Aoraki/Mt Cook.
The climbers were plucked from near the top of the mountain on Summit Ridge at 6.45pm yesterday, three hours after the alert was raised, Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand senior search and rescue Officer Julian Tovey said.

Because of the weather and other factors the Mount Cook Alpine Cliff Rescue Team called for help from Helicopters Otago's Queenstown-based emergency medical services chopper.

"Due to the altitude of where the climbers were located, the crew of the helicopter needed to make it lighter.

"They did this by reconfiguring the machine with less equipment than they would normally carry, to ensure it could safely operate at the altitude required."

The rescue chopper picked up an Alpine Cliff Rescue team member at Mount Cook village and flew up to Summit Ridge where the two climbers were winched into the helicopter.

"At an altitude of over 3300m, this was one of the highest altitude rescues coordinated by RCCNZ for some time.

"While there have previously been rescues at the summit, this rescue was just as complex as a summit rescue."

Otago Daily Times: Stricken climbers plucked off Mt Cook