A high school student was airlifted out of the Mackenzie Basin last night, in an incident one rescuer says sets the gold standard for preparedness.
Locator beacons and an in-person tracker helped rescuers supervise during a helicopter airflift of a high school student. (file pic) Photo: Supplied - Canterbury Air Rescue
The Rescue Coordination Centre said the group of 30 senior students and four adults had begun a four-day tramp and rafting trip when the incident happened.
A personal locator beacon was set off at 7.30pm and the student was taken by rescue helicopter to Dunedin Hospital in a moderate condition.
The centre's senior search and rescue officer Chris Henshaw said the school did all the right things.
"The college had a very good safety plan in place with staff at the college knowing the full details of the trip. They carried two personal locator beacons and an in-reach tracker, which was able to communicate out by satellite the situation.
"[It's] very much the gold standard. With a full safety plan in place, it was great.
"We knew what the situation was and could then advise the helicopter."
He declined to say what the medical emergency was.
