A 53-year-old father of three who fell 40m may have died if it was not for a three-day old satellite system that enabled him to be rescued.
The Wellington man was tramping alone in the Tararua Ranges yesterday when he fell near Girdlestone, on the Wairarapa side of the mountains, breaking his leg in two places and exposing bones.
He realised he was in a "dodgy situation" - especially if he had to spend a night in the open while so badly injured - so turned on his personal locator beacon.
The signal was received, but due to cloudy conditions, it was close to dark by the time the Amalgamated Helicopters of Carterton was able to move him from the ranges.
Under the old system, the beacon's signal would have been received an hour later - meaning it would have been too dark for the helicopter rescue, and Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand's Chris Henshaw said with the man's injuries, a night out in the open would have been very difficult for him.
"The helicopter crew has done a tremendous job in reaching him at the very end of daylight."
The new medium-earth orbit search and rescue (MEOSAR) satellite system, currently operating in test mode, received the signal in four minutes.
The satellite system orbits 20,000km above earth and will replace older lower orbit satellites (orbiting at between 800-1000km), over the next four years.
There are currently 18 new MEOSAR satellites operating, compared with five of the older satellites.
This means beacon signals can be received more quickly, and beacon locations identified with greater accuracy.
Access to information from the system, which is part of a joint search and rescue system with Australia, was arranged with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on Friday.
The rescued man, an educator, said he is an experienced solo-tramper and mountain runner.
He takes safety very seriously, and when tramping with his sons they know where the beacon is carried and how to operate it.
After the fall, he was conscious he might end up having to survive the night on the mountain.
While he had a sleeping bag, pack liner and an emergency blanket, he was concerned that shock would set in further, along with the pain.
The 20m downhill crawl back to his pack would have also proved a "challenge", along with getting his dangling leg into the sleeping bag.
The tramper had dragged himself uphill from his pack, in difficult and steep terrain, to try and get cellphone coverage - and to be more visible for a helicopter pick-up
He had made it halfway.
