The Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to search for a distress beacon that had been activated in the Tararua Ranges West of Levin on Wednesday afternoon.
The Rescue Coordination Centre was able to provide a GPS location from the beacon which enabled the helicopter to concentrate on a small search area. A tramping party was quickly located in a clearing on the track leading to the Waiopehu Hut beside the Ohau River.
Due to the difficult access of our Intensive Care Paramedic (ICP), Felicity was winched into the scene and was able to determine a woman in the party had possibly fractured her ankle. Our ICP and the woman were winched back to the helicopter and flown to Palmerston North Hospital for further treatment.