Search and Rescue Helicopter Saves Wellington Hunter After Severe Leg Injury

2 lives saved

Challenging Terrain

Hunting

Medical emergency

Mountain

What happened?

I’ve spent over 30 years hunting in Fiordland National Park. It’s a place I know like the back of my hand, and I’ve always prided myself on being prepared for anything. I’ve been involved in Land Search and Rescue for six years and even ran a guiding company in the area. So, if you’d asked me if I thought I’d ever need rescuing from those familiar surroundings, I’d have probably said no. But a month ago, during the roar season, I learned the hard way that even an experience hunter like myself can still need saving.

It was a typical hunting day with a mate of mine, and we were near Westies Hut. I wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary when it happened. I was simply walking along a track when my right foot rolled forward on a log, slipped into a dip in the ground, and got jammed. The momentum caused me to lose balance, and before I knew it, my leg snapped.

Two bones gone in an instant.

At first, I thought I’d just rolled my ankle. I even sat down on the log, thinking I’d shake it off. But when I looked at my leg and saw it flopping around like it had no structure, I knew it was bad.

It all happened so fast. The pain hit hard, but so did the realization that I wasn’t walking out of there on my own.

Thankfully, my years of SAR training kicked in, and I was prepared. Both my mate and I had rescueMe PLB1’s (Personal Locator Beacons) and marine radios with us. We didn’t waste time—activated both of our beacons while my mate headed to the coast to reach the marine radio service in Bluff. Plus, I had also activated the SOS function on my iPhone 15.

Before long, we got word that a Westpac Search and Rescue helicopter was on its way.

Within an hour, I was on my way to Invercargill Hospital. Later, I underwent surgery in Queenstown, where they put 14 screws, a metal plate, and a rod in my leg. It looks a bit like a kebab skewer now, but I’m grateful it wasn’t worse.

It’s a surreal feeling—being someone who’s guided so many people through the bush, and now I was the one needing help. It was a freak accident, just a tiny slip, but it reminded me that anything can happen out there, no matter how experienced you are.

The stats back it up too—between 2019 and 2023, ACC accepted over 8,000 hunting-related injury claims, with nearly 700 of those happening in Otago. And it’s not just big injuries like mine. Most are soft tissue injuries—sprains and strains. But they all add up, with the total cost of recovery hitting $23 million over the last five years.

I’ve been lucky with my recovery. ACC accepted my claim within 24 hours, covering everything from surgery to transport and even a flight back home to Wellington. They’ve been fantastic, and honestly, it’s a service that’s pretty amazing. In other parts of the world, you’d have to rely on private insurance, and if that takes weeks, you’re stuck.

If there’s one thing I’d emphasize to anyone heading into the outdoors, it’s to always have the right gear. A PLB is tiny—about the size of a matchbox—but it could save your life. Always tell someone where you’re going, and if you can, carry a radio. The faster you can get rescued, the better. The longer you’re out there, the worse it gets.

You think it’ll never happen to you until it does.

Words of wisdom

better safe than never

Thank you note to the Ocean Signal team

plb’s were a essential bit of equipment in getting Andy to hospital and home safe to his family.