Heliport
20th Oct 2003, 03:10
NZ Herald
20.10.2003 A climber who got into trouble after he slid several metres down a cliff, hung on with one hand while calling for help on his cellphone with the other.
A weekend adventure almost turned to tragedy when the man became stuck above the quarry near Red Rocks on Wellington's south coast.
Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew chief Dave Greenberg said the young climber was perched about 70m above the beach on one of a series of steps cut into the unstable shale, stone and rock cliff when rescue teams arrived.
The climber, who did not have any special equipment, had been much higher on the face but got into difficulty after he slid about 30m around 11.20am on Saturday, Mr Greenberg said.
"He said he was climbing and started to get into difficulty and to slide down to a position where he was holding on with one hand. He had a cellphone, and he used the other hand to call for help on that.
Mr Greenberg said that at first police and Wellington Free Ambulance rescue crews were worried the helicopter would not be able to rescue the man without dislodging more of the rubble on the cliff.
But the helicopter had been used in much more difficult circumstances, and the man was soon winched to safety.
"He was unhurt but he was very, very, very relieved."
Wellington Free Ambulance paramedic Kevin Smyth said the man, who he believed was from Wellington, was lucky he had been able to arrest his fall when he did.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/common/imageViewer/0,1445,126248,00.jpg HAULED UP: Westpac rescue helicopter crew chief Dave Greenberg hoists a stranded climber to safety above Red Rocks on Wellington's south coast.
http://www.vnz.co.nz/photos/cities/wellington/038k.jpg Red Rocks are from volcanic eruptions under the sea.
20.10.2003 A climber who got into trouble after he slid several metres down a cliff, hung on with one hand while calling for help on his cellphone with the other.
A weekend adventure almost turned to tragedy when the man became stuck above the quarry near Red Rocks on Wellington's south coast.
Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew chief Dave Greenberg said the young climber was perched about 70m above the beach on one of a series of steps cut into the unstable shale, stone and rock cliff when rescue teams arrived.
The climber, who did not have any special equipment, had been much higher on the face but got into difficulty after he slid about 30m around 11.20am on Saturday, Mr Greenberg said.
"He said he was climbing and started to get into difficulty and to slide down to a position where he was holding on with one hand. He had a cellphone, and he used the other hand to call for help on that.
Mr Greenberg said that at first police and Wellington Free Ambulance rescue crews were worried the helicopter would not be able to rescue the man without dislodging more of the rubble on the cliff.
But the helicopter had been used in much more difficult circumstances, and the man was soon winched to safety.
"He was unhurt but he was very, very, very relieved."
Wellington Free Ambulance paramedic Kevin Smyth said the man, who he believed was from Wellington, was lucky he had been able to arrest his fall when he did.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/common/imageViewer/0,1445,126248,00.jpg HAULED UP: Westpac rescue helicopter crew chief Dave Greenberg hoists a stranded climber to safety above Red Rocks on Wellington's south coast.
http://www.vnz.co.nz/photos/cities/wellington/038k.jpg Red Rocks are from volcanic eruptions under the sea.