Injured Man Picked Up

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31247, 20 December 1966, Page 3

Injured Man Picked Up

(N.Z. Press Association)

PALMERSTON

NORTH, Dec. 19.

An injured deer culler was brought out from the Ruahine Ranges today strapped to the side of a helicopter. The culler, Robert George McDonald, of Opunake, injured his leg on Sunday night.

Mr McDonald, a Forestry Service employee, was at the Iron Gate hut with another

culler, David Blych, when the accident occurred. Mr McDonald had been deer culling throughout Sunday and had returned to the hut. He had gone outside to put some meat in a safe when he slipped on a mossy rock and tore ligaments in his leg and also injured his knee. The helicopter, piloted by Mr I. Wakeling, of Wanganui, landed Mr McDonald at the Palmerston North airport where an ambulance was waiting to take him to hospital. Mr Blych did what he could for the leg overnight and this

morning walked six miles to get help from Mr I. Logan, the forest ranger at Bulls. The helicopter picked Mr Logan up at Bulls and flew to the hut. Mr Logan fixed a splint on Mr McDonald’s leg before he was strapped to the helicopter. When Mr McDonald was gently lowered to the ground at the Palmerston North airport he was well-blanketed and wrapped in a sleeping bag. He wore an oxygen mask to offset the effects of the slipstream.