Beacon the best treatment for a broken ankle when you’ve gone bush
A broken ankle two day’s walk from the nearest road could have spelt disaster for an Auckland couple tramping in the Kawekas.
But luckily Kerry and Raewyn Rodger had had the foresight to hire a personal locator beacon in Taupo¯ en route to their destination.
The pair, in their 50s, were tramping in the eastern Kaweka ranges on September 4 on a six-day loop trip of area huts.
They had organised to hire a personal locator beacon (PLB) from Taupo¯ Freemasons.
The Rodgers were well-prepared, despite cold weather which brought snow and wind on the third day. Raewyn had not been into the area before but Kerry knew was familiar with it.
On the fourth day, the weather was beautiful, with blue tramped along a covered ridge.
“The track was covered in snow and parts of it had six to eight inches, so it was up to the boots,” Kerry says.
But disaster struck just beforemidday, with the couple less than an hour’s walk frommangaturuturu Hut, their destination for the night.
“We just went up a little rise and came down the other side of it . . . and [Raewyn] just fell forward and went down in a screaming heap. And I think basically her ankle folded under the full weight of her body on top of it, and broke it in three places.”
Raewyn was unable to move and in a lot of pain. It was obvious her ankle was badly damaged. There was no way of getting her to the nearest hut and the two days’ walk out was not an option. There was only one thing for it. Kerry activated the beaskies as they beech forestcon and set about making Raewyn comfortable.
He got her in a warm jacket and sleeping bag and laid out a yellow pack liner in a clear area as a signal to passing helicopters. The couple prepared to wait for help. , a long time if necessary.
“I knew from other rescues a lot of times they say if they can’t get a rescue team in because of conditions you’ve got to be prepared to hunker downfor the night andmy immediate thought was we would need to prepare to stay the night possibly,”
But Kerry had barely got the tent pitched before they heard the welcome sound of rotor blades.
It was the Hastings-based Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter, tasked by the NZRCC, and it arrived, Kerry estimates, within half an hour.
A paramedic was winched down to examine Raewyn and before long she was winched out and whisked to Hawke’s Bay Hospital. Kerry walked out the next day and the couple were reunited.
Kerry praised the skill of the rescue helicopter staff and says he’s grateful for his decision to hire a PLB to take on the trip. He recommends taking a PLB to everyone, even if they’re just going for a day adventure.
“It was $25 [to hire] and that was really important,” he said.