The Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter was dispatched by the Rescue Coordination Centre to the Whangamomona Forest on Sunday 16 July for a beacon search, after a group of hunters activated their Personal Locator Beacon.
The rescue helicopter arrived at the scene and located the group in dense bush at the bottom of a slope. One of the hunters had slipped and fallen down a bank, reportedly about 10m high, and sustained multiple injuries.
The on board paramedic was inserted into the bush using the rescue hoist, where he was able to stabilise the patient and prepare him for extraction. They were then hoisted into the helicopter and airlifted to Taranaki Hospital for treatment.