Injured Helicopter Pilot Rescued

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31754, 10 August 1968, Page 1

Injured Helicopter Pilot Rescued

(New Zealand Press Association) HOKITIKA, August 9. The pilot of a rescue helicopter from Nelson won a race against darkness this evening to pick up another helicopter pilot who had been injured in a venison recovery accident 4000 feet up the mountainous Whataroa Valley in South Westland. The area is about 70 miles south of Hokitika.

This morning the helicopter, owned by Graham Stewart, Ltd, of Christchurch, rolled over while hovering just above the ground. Apparently the engine failed. The blades chopped the top off the helicopter bubble, smashed the instrument panel and struck the pilot, Mr J. Beigen, of Christchurch, a glancing blow on the head.

Mr Beigen who was accompanied by two shooters, Mr F. Woolf and Mr R. Smith, both of Christchurch, managed to cut their way down

3000 feet, where they set up camp below the cloud level.

In the meantime the Nel-son-based helicopter owned by Helicopters (N.Z.), Ltd, was alerted, and flew south.

Slight Concussion

After refuelling at Hokitika, at 5 p.m., the pilot, Mr R. Wilson, took off for Whataroa.

The injured pilot was

picked up and flown out to Whataroa, where he was adfnitted to hospital for observation.

Suffering from slight concussion the two shooters are remaining overnight: they will be picked up by the rescu* helicopter tomorrow morning.

The flight from Whataroa to the camp site took about 15 minutes.