All's Well That Ends Well

Getting Them Out Alive

The rescue of an American mother and daughter from death by exposure over the weekend has been grabbing national attention.  The discovery and rescue of the missing trampers (hikers) occurred in the notorious Tararua Ranges, north of Wellington.  

The Tararuas are a beautiful, breathtaking range of hills.  They are home to some of the most magnificent red deer in the country.  They provide up in the tops some of the most breathtaking views in the lower North Island.  But they can be unforgiving if the weather turns unexpectedly, or if you wander off the track. Carolyn and Rachel Ward followed a set of markers away from the track (they turned out to be different coloured markers to assist possum exterminators).

The family of an American mother and daughter rescued after they spent four near-freezing nights in the New Zealand bush have thanked those involved in bringing them to safety.  Carolyn Lloyd carried her starving and exhausted daughter Rachel, 22, on her back as the pair tried to escape the Tararua Forest where they got lost during a hike on Tuesday.  The women strayed from the path on what was supposed to be a one-day hike.  [NZ Herald]

 While not particularly well equipped (beware the apparent safety of the "one day hike"), once lost they did most things right.  They kept their heads, stayed together, supported each other, rationed scarce food, and (most of all) used branches to spell out a large "Help" on the ground, which was eventually spotted by a searching helicopter.  For the search and rescue operators it was a textbook operation.

 Mrs Lloyd's brother John Schumacher contacted the Herald from his home in the US with a message for the search and rescue team.  "My entire family wishes to express our tear-filled gratitude to all the amazing police staff, helicopter pilots, search team members, dog guides, volunteers and news teams who kept us informed and everyone else involved who worked so quickly and effectively to find - and save - my sister and niece," he said.

"What a testament the wonderful citizens of New Zealand are to the rest of the world, of how people can work together to accomplish such noble deeds. Thank God, and thank you all."

They were found by one of the most experienced helicopter pilots in the area.  Jason Diedrichs has spent most of his professional life servicing the Tararuas and surrounding communities.  He is a top bloke and knows the area better than most.

The pair were spotted yesterday by Amalgamated Helicopters director and chief pilot Jason Diedrichs after an extensive search of the area surrounding the Kapakapanui Track.  Searching for the women, they saw the word "help" spelled out on a river bed with rocks, punga fronds and sticks. The women, who had made another sign in a bush clearing, were nearby waving their arms.

"They were certainly keen to make their presence known. They were a little bit worse for wear, they'd been in there for four nights out in the open with very little food so they were definitely feeling the effects of that."   Diedrichs managed to land the helicopter nearby and flew the grateful women out of the bush to waiting paramedics.  "They were physically and mentally very tired so it's fair to say they were pretty pleased to see us."

A help sign made by missing trampers Rachel Lloyd and her mother Carolyn Lloyd. Photo / Amalgamated Helicopters

The police commended the two women for their skill in maximising the potential of rescue:

Sergeant Anthony Harmer yesterday praised the two women for how they had handled their situation.  "They've been caught out unawares in their circumstances through no fault of their own. It's a New Zealand environment as opposed to other environments they've been to.

"They've done all the right things - they've stayed together, they've conserved their heat, they've conserved their resources so they gave themselves the best chance possible."  He said the search operation had been "pretty much textbook" and the women had been found in an area that searchers had anticipated they might have ended up.

As they say, all's well that ends well.

Jason Diedrich in action, dropping off some hunters on the tops in the Tararuas.  A top bloke.