Wānaka Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) was involved in two rescues this afternoon despite perfect weather conditions.

Shortly after midday emergency services were called to attend a paraglider accident near the Treble Cone ski field access road.

“One person crashed and I think he’s been dragged or rolled down the slope and he was airlifted out,” detective Alan Lee said.

The man is understood to have serious injuries and was taken to Dunedin Hospital by the Otago Rescue Helicopter.

Then as the rescue team was finishing up at Treble Cone they received notification from the rescue coordination centre in Lower Hutt of a personal locator beacon being set off in the Motatapu valley, Alan said.

“We responded and located two people, one with a minor ankle injury.”

The pair were airlifted out.

Alan said the rescue was straightforward thanks to the pair having a personal locator beacon.

“Carrying beacons saves people a lot of aggravation,” he said.

The unpaid volunteers of Wanaka LandSAR, operating in conjunction with the NZ Police and the Rescue Coordination Centre, average between 45 and 55 rescues in a busy year, making it one of the busiest SAR groups in the country.

Donations can be made to Wanaka LandSAR here.

PHOTO: Wānaka App