Crimeline
Aussie dad-son duo rescued - Stranded Wye Creek
A visiting Australian father and son, stranded high on the Wye Creek Track overnight in just underwear after stripping to cross a badly swollen river, were finally rescued by helicopter about 8am last Thursday morning, (27 November).
Wakatipu Alpine Cliff Rescue Team coordinator Russ Tilsley says the pair made all the right calls, turning back when they realised they were out of their depth. However, they’d decided to throw their packs and gear across the badly swollen Wye Creek on their return. “They’d reached high up on the plateau and realised there was too much snow to go over the pass,” Tilsley says. “They were only wearing sneakers and realised they were unprepared so turned back,” he says.
“They’d stripped down to their socks and boxer shorts to cross the river and threw their packs across ahead, then realised it wasn’t safe to cross,” Tilsley says. “There had been a heap of rainfall and snowmelt and it’s a narrow, rocky, bouldery and boisterous river in those conditions.”
Their phones and communication sources were in their packs, also their only light source, but thankfully they’d texted the wife and mother around 3pm to say they were turning back.
“The dad was 65 and had been going for 12 hours and was knackered so the son, 19, made a good call not to put his dad into the river.” The bad decision was throwing their packs across, Tilsley says. “In those situations, just undo the straps and then you can push the pack off if you need to get rid of it quickly.”
Police called in the Otago Rescue Helicopter, equipped with night vision goggles, when the man’s wife raised the alarm at 10.45pm last Wednesday, (26 November), but they couldn’t locate the pair as there was no light source with their phones in their packs. Wakatipu Land Search and Rescue volunteers also went in with a dog search team overnight.
The specialist Alpine Cliff Rescuers were called in around 5am, leaving at 7am, and the pair were finally located from a Heliworks helicopter about 8am. “It had rained overnight so they were cold and shivering when we picked them up, but were fine,” Tilsely says. The son was wearing a short-sleeved thermal and had given his thermal leggings to his dad.
“They made some good decisions, until the packs,” he says. The thing with Wye Creek is that people totally don’t understand the time it takes to get through,” Tilsely says. “You’re climbing a long way up, travelling through rocky valley and huge tussocks. It’s not an easy trail. There was still a lot of snow up on The Remarkables and Wye Saddle.”
Two Germans rescued from Rock Burn
Two German tourists caught out by concerning river levels on their return from an overnight trip to the Rock Burn at Theatre Flat had to be rescued by Heliworks helicopter after sending a message to alert Queenstown Police at 6.23am on Wednesday, 26 November.
Constable Amanda Shute says they contacted the Amsterdam Apple Assistance Centre when they were unable to return, which in turn alerted Queenstown Police. The rescue helicopter was sent in with two DOC rangers from Glenorchy, Shute says.
Tilsley says the pair weren’t injured. It’s understood they thought a bridge was out, but it wasn’t.
Car wedged on top of construction piles- Passengers rescued
Both the Queenstown and Frankton Volunteer Fire Brigades helped free the driver and passengers of a vehicle that had become wedged on top of construction piles in Marina Drive, Frankton, just after 8pm yesterday, 3 December. A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman says while there were people in the stuck vehicle they were not trapped and firefighters assisted in getting them out of the vehicle.
Police and St John Ambulance also attended the single vehicle crash-rescue, and a Police media spokesperson says it appeared nobody was injured. No further details were available last night (3 December).
Security guard bitten
A 44-year-old local man, who allegedly bit a security guard on the arm, piercing the skin and causing significant bruising, has been remanded on bail after facing a charge of assault with intent to injure in the Queenstown District Court on 1 December, Shute says.
Police were called to a Searle Lane venue at 12.30am on Saturday, 29 November. The man had allegedly previously been involved in a verbal argument which turned physical, and then allegedly bit the guard on the bicep while being removed from the venue, she says.
The man will reappear in court on 12 January.
A sour note- Serious bar assault
Singing turned sour after a woman was allegedly seriously assaulted during an argument between two groups over a karaoke microphone in a Searle Lane bar around 1am on Friday, 28 November.
Shute says a 23-year-old Dunedin woman allegedly picked up a cellphone and threw it at the female victim’s face. She received a cut below her eye and bruising, she says. The alleged offender and an associate were removed from the bar by security officers. A 23-year-old woman appeared in the Queenstown District Court on 1 December and was remanded on bail until 12 January, Shute says.
Drink driving:
43-year-old Central Otago male, blew 507mcg, stopped after a driving complaint, 11.10pm, 2 December. Charged with driving with excess breath alcohol, third and subsequent.
Bike accident
Two rescue helicopters responded after a biking accident near Brecon Street at just before 4.30pm on Monday, 1 December, with one patient airlifted to Lakes District Hospital in a moderate condition.
The Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter also airlifted a patient in a minor condition to Lakes District Hospital after an accident in Fiordland National Park just before 8.45am on Monday, 1 December.
