’Copter flies to rescue

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33985, 28 October 1975, Page 1

’Copter flies to rescue

(New Zealand Press Association)

NELSON, October 28.

A helicopter left Nelson Airport for Torrent Bay at 10.30 last night to rescue a man badly injured when a light plane crashed into a remote corner of Tasman Bay about 4 p.m.

The police were alerted after two of the people from the aircraft walked to Torrent Bay. where they were able to alert authorities with an elderly man’s marine radio.

The helicopter landed at Torrent Bay, on the western shore of Tasman Bay, about midnight, and men set off to the crash site. The rescuers were expected to reach the plane about 2 a.m. today, and take three hours to get back to the helicopter with the injured man.

The other three, occupants of the craft are believed to be uninjured. The crash site is about 12 miles from the nearest road, and is accessible only by a walking track through heavy bush. A local resident said the walking track was in good condition. “But I can’t see them carrying a person in a stretcher out at night on that track.” he said.

There are a number of holiday baches near the crash, site, and the crash victims i may have received aid from holidaymakers. Seven flights According to the Nelson police, the plane was one of seven which left the West Coast this afternoon to fly to Motueka and Nelson. They encountered bad weather, and six planes turned back and landed at Takaka. Contact with the seventh plane was lost. The crash was reported to police by Civil Aviation authorities. The three men and a woman aboard were all from the Auckland area. Their names were not available tonight. There are no telephones in the crash area.