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Man rescued after being buried by avalanche near Treble Cone

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RNZ

23 September 2024, 9:56 PM

Man rescued after being buried by avalanche near Treble ConeTreble Cone

A climber has been dug out from under a metre of snow after being caught in an avalanche near Treble Cone.


The event on Monday (September 23) was the second human-triggered avalanche in the area, with a previous one on Saturday (September 21). The Mountain Safety Council is warning people to not rush into alpine environments if they're not prepared properly.


The man, who was with a well-prepared group, was dug out from beneath a metre of snow, the council said.


Its chief executive, Mike Daisley, told Morning Report the group was encouraged out with a brief window of good weather during "a bunch of storms that are thrashing the South Island".


"Luckily this group in particular are well prepared. They had the correct equipment and knew how to use it," he said.


"They were able to use transceivers and probes to sift through the snow and be able to isolate where the individual had last been seen and start from there. And move pretty quickly.


"If you're buried that deep you can't get out yourself."


But Daisley said that people shouldn't be exploring the back country when the weather is not conducive to being there.


"Increasingly we are, and this is not related to this particular incident, but we are seeing people looking to explore some of these environments with less knowledge and less experience," he said.


Daisley added the avalanche risk in the area is high at the moment.


"The avalanche risk has stepped up from considerable to high. So that's what we're expecting to see for the next couple of weeks."


"Some brief weather windows encouraging people out mixed in with a constant storm cycle for the next two or three weeks."


He recommended sticking to ski fields, where the avalanche risk is actively managed.


Read more: Caution urged following increased avalanche danger


PHOTO: RNZ / Tess Brunton