Tramper and his beloved dog winched from Tararua Forest, Wellington

Wednesday, 21 March 2018

A former press photographer out tramping with his dog had to be winched out of the Tararua range after he slipped on a greasy boulder.

Former Dominion chief photographer Barry Durrant, in his late 70s, said it was ironic he had to be rescued, after a long career of covering search and rescue operations.

'I had managed to stay out of a helicopter for 70-odd years,' he said.

A former mountain runner, who said he would run in and out of rescue areas for a news photo, he recently got new knees, and one of them was especially painful after he slipped while crossing the Snowy River, above Ōtaki Forks, north of Wellington, on Tuesday.

It would have taken all night to hobble to the road and, after three days in the bush, his wife would have been worried, he said. 

So he switched on his personal locator beacon, and the Life Flight rescue team soon found him and dog Jess, using the Westpac rescue helicopter, about 6pm.

'In 40 minutes the big red bird was above me,' said Durrant, who praised emergency services for pulling them out. 

A paramedic was winched down to assess Durrant, who had minor injuries, before he was winched aboard and later taken to Wellington Hospital.

Life Flight's speciality dog harness was used to get Jess into the helicopter. She enjoyed the views over Wellington before she was flown back to Life Flight's rescue base at Wellington Airport.

'She was really good and quiet, and enjoyed the ride home in her VIP seat,' Durrant said. 

Once at the base, Jess indulged in several pre-cooked sausages and a refreshing bowl of water.

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