Woman airlifted from Mt Cook

Press, 29 May 1985, Page 1

Woman airlifted from Mt Cook

Timaru reporter A young Dunedin woman with frost-bitten toes was yesterday rescued by helicopter from an alpine hut near Mount Cook village. Fiona Bowie, aged 22, was taken to the village where she was examined by Dr Dick Price, a specialist on exposure, who had been climbing in another part of Mount Cook National Park. Dr Price was taken by helicopter from the Tasman Saddle Hut and flown to the village to examine the patient. She was later taken to Dunedin Hospital in a friend’s van.

Inadequate and improp-

erly worn footwear was thought to have caused the frost-bite, said the duty ranger at Mount Cook, Mr Ray Bellringer. Miss Bowie was wearing tramping boots which were tied too tightly.

Miss Bowie and two companions had been climbing in deep snow in the Sealy Range since Sunday. Her toes became frost-bitten and blistered on Monday. The trio spent Monday night at the Mueller Hut and radioed park headquarters for help yesterday morning. A Royal New Zealand Air Force helicopter flew from Christchurch.