A man survived a 400m fall while skiing the west face of Mt Aspiring yesterday (Thursday September 3), suffering only leg injuries.

The outcome was “quite remarkable” given the steep terrain and the length of the fall, Wanaka Search and Rescue (SAR) member Lionel Clay told the Wanaka App.

“He’s a very lucky boy.”

The two New Zealand residents, both experienced and well prepared climbers and skiers, began their descent in the afternoon. Something went wrong during the descent and one man fell.

“He ended on the glacier below,” Lionel said. “Quite remarkably he appeared to only have leg injuries.”

The second man skied to his partner and set off a personal locator beacon. He put the injured man in a thermal blanket bag, assessed his injuries, and built a snow wall to protect him from the wind.

“He did a very, very good job,” Lionel said.

Wanaka SAR received the call via the Rescue Coordination Centre NZ, and two members of the team, Lionel and Gary Dickson, departed with Aspiring Helicopter pilot James Ford at 5.30pm, aware they had only an hour of daylight remaining.

“We were so pushed for time. It was important to get him out of the environment as the weather was coming in,” Lionel said.

Another two team members were geared up and ready as backup, and avalanche dog handler Calum Grant was also ready in case he was needed.

The beacon readings allowed the rescuers to find the two men on the glacier below the mountain’s West Ridge. After an assessment, the man was flown to meet the Queenstown Air Ambulance at The Branches Valley. Wanaka SAR returned to pick up his companion and their gear before returning to Wanaka before nightfall, and before the weather came in.

“The great thing is they had the beacon,” Lionel said. “If they didn’t have the beacon they would still be there, and the outcomes would have been very different.”

Wanaka SAR was at the scene within 45 minutes of the beacon being activated.

“I can’t encourage people enough to take a beacon,” Lionel said.

He said the west face of Aspiring is skied a couple of times a year. 

“These were just two people out there doing their thing, and that’s what we’re here for.”

The rescuers were supported by an incident team back at the SAR base. “It’s very much a team effort,” Lionel said.

PHOTO: Craig Potton