http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/71779200/hypothermic-trampers-stranded-on-mt-robert-in-nelson-lakes
Two foreign trampers are hypothermic and stuck on a freezing mountain after spending the night in -19 degree temperatures in the Nelson Lakes area.
The pair, both in their 20s, were unable to be rescued by helicopter from the Mt Robert ridgeline due to high winds and bad weather on Sunday morning.
One of the trampers, a woman, fell on the route from Mt Angelus to Speargrass on Saturday evening, at an altitude of 1600 metres. It was snowing at the time.
Her male companion went to assist her, then the pair called police at 5.45pm, Nelson police senior constable Dave Colville said.
"Why they were up there so late, I'll never know."
"The Mt Robert ridgeline was one of the few spots in the area with cellphone coverage, Colville said.
A police search and rescue team reached the trampers at 5.30am, and erected tents to try and warm the patients up. A doctor was among the rescuers, Colville said. The trampers were found 25m below the saddle in a hypothermic state, unable to assist themselves or rescuers.
Police were waiting for a break in the weather to send a helicopter in and rescue the trampers. Strong winds of 50kmh were forecast for Sunday but alpine conditions could change quickly, Colville said.
Neither of the trampers was injured, he said. Their level of experience and equipment was not yet known.
A second search and rescue team was heading into the area to relieve the first team. "
hope its no one from here
i'd hope no one from here would get caught out that unprepared if it reads like i think it does, sounds like they didnt have any form of shelter with them, but lets wait for more information.
heading down that late, could be a day trip with minimal gear?
-19 is a bit vicious though
A very close thing. Well done and congrats to the SAR team.
It reads as if they are still up there in pretty difficult conditions trying to manage two very hypothermic patients. You have to hope this still has a good ending.
yeah managing advanced hypothermia is extremely tricky esp when you cant get to a hospital..
Poor people. Update says they should be OK thanks to awesome SAR.
Typically the article is contradictory. She fell but they were uninjured (!) so perhaps it was whiteout and they could not move on without fear of losing their bearings.
Surely that's minus 19 windchill - terrible conditions to be out in if not prepared for it. Would have thought they were heading up to Angelus Hut when she slipped at 1600m, 1km from the hut. Can't imagine anyone leaving a hut that late to head down the track. It's the bad weather route according to the guide.
Often we never hear the full story and so are left to hypothesise.
This post has been edited by the author on 6 September 2015 at 13:17.
The article says they were found 25m below the saddle, which places them at just over 1700m and less than 500m from Angelus. And downhill all the way.
Conditions must be pretty grim if the SAR team don't want to move them even that far.
This post has been edited by the author on 6 September 2015 at 13:22.
if they are very hypothermic you shouldnt move them anyway until you can stabilise them if you can get them into shelter and warmth
right, using the forecast beow, the "wind chill" was minus nineteen, incrasing to minus eeven.. current forecast is for 70km winds, frezing level varying between 800 and thirteen hundred mertes
http://www.metservice.com/mountain/nelson-lakes-national-park
