Police/Supplied
The shelter the men constructed while waiting for the police search and rescue team to arrive.
Two men who were rescued after a motorbike trip went wrong in the Akatarawa Forest, have been praised for their preparedness.
Two men, aged 32 and 37, were rescued by police from the Akatarawa Forest in the Wellington region on Friday, March 17.
Search and Rescue duty officer detective constable Ilisa Higgins said the men were planning to ride their motorcycles from Karapoti Rd on the Hutt Valley side of the forest to Orange Hut, where they would meet a friend and stay for two nights.
The area was hit by heavy rain on Friday, causing river levels to rise.
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When the men failed to arrive at the hut by sundown, their friend became concerned and raised the alarm.
Two police search and rescue members along with a local 4×4 club member with extensive experience in the area began the search for the men.
The men were found at about 3am on Saturday, near the bottom of a steep section of track in a remote valley dubbed the Devil’s Staircase.
GEOFF REID/Supplied
Search and rescue members rescued two men who were travelling through the Akatarawa Forest on motorbikes.
Higgins said the pair got into trouble while trying to come up the Devil’s Staircase.
“A lot of people have been caught out in that area over the years; it is incredibly steep, slippery, and rutted.
“One of the men had injured his knee while trying to haul one of the motorcycles up a steep drop.
“Due to the injury, he wouldn’t have been able to move the bikes up any further and would’ve had great difficulty walking out,” Higgins said.
However, the pair were well-prepared and managed to build themselves a shelter to keep them dry using ferns.
ROSA WOODS/STUFF
Ryan Campbell was rescued from Akatarawa Forest by Life Flight’s Westpac Rescue Helicopter after a motorcross bike accident.
Along with carrying sleeping bags, food and warm clothing, the men were also able to start a fire before the rain set in.
“Once they realised they weren’t going to be able to get out, they stayed together and stayed put.
“They made themselves quite visible and easy to find,” Higgins said.
Once rescued, the men expressed their thanks to the search and rescue members, the 4×4 club member and their friend who raised the alarm.
Higgins urged anyone planning on making frequent excursions into the outdoors to bring a personal locator beacon.
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