“Dumbfuck of the Week” Award

Tramper's expensive mistake

By KATARINA FILIPE - The Timaru Herald | 5:00AM - Saturday, 06 February 2010

A Belgian tourist who sparked an estimated $15,000 rescue operation after failing to sign out upon her return from Aoraki/Mount Cook will not have to pay up.

Rescuers began searching for the 28-year-old on Thursday afternoon after she did not check in at the Department of Conservation office on Wednesday.

Twizel Senior Constable Les Andrew said there was no intent in the 28-year-old's actions. Police had spoken to her. "She's realised that she made a pretty big mistake."

The woman called police at 8.40am yesterday to say she was out of the national park and in Twizel, said DOC Aoraki/Mount Cook spokesperson Shirley Slatter.

By then, rescuers were "quite some way along", she said.

They had resumed their search at 5.30am using heat-seeking equipment, while an Iroquois helicopter was on its way from the North Island.

Search and Rescue teams from Tekapo, Twizel and Omarama were ready to be deployed into the field. Since the search began, two helicopter trips had been made.

DOC estimated the rescue efforts had cost between $12,000 to $15,000.

Mr Andrew said the tramper had been in New Zealand for five months and was leaving next week.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/3299320/Trampers-expensive-mistake

Location: Mt Cook
District: Canterbury

Subject: Media Release re SAR at Aoraki/Mount Cook

Search for Missing Tramper Resumes

A search is being carried out for a missing tramper overdue in Aoraki/Mount
Cook National Park. The missing female tramper was last seen at 7.30am at
Mueller Hut on Wednesday 3rd February. She was intending to descend to the
village, and hasn't been seen since.

Aerial searches using DOC Aoraki Search and Rescue staff commenced yesterday
afternoon and carried on into the evening, with no success.

This morning a number of teams are being deployed, to search areas adjacent
to the route leading from the hut to the Aoraki/Mount Cook village. An early
morning team started at 5.30am, with a heat seeking device.

Weather conditions have been fine and hot, and are expected to continue. The
overseas visitor was well equipped, had signed in the DOC intentions system
and carried a cell phone. She has not signed out, or contact DOC staff.

Mueller Hut is an alpine tramping hut sited at 1800 metres on the Sealy
Range, behind the Aoraki/Mount Cook village. It is a popular 28 bunk hut
used by both day trippers and overnight trampers. The route is moderate to
difficult in places, and around seven rescues have been carried out this
season already, mainly people slipping whilst descending to the village. It
is estimated around 10,000 people a year access the hut.

Next of kin have yet to be notified.

The next update will be made at 0900 hours.

From: Shirley Slatter
Sent: Fri 5/02/2010 7:40 a.m.

Please view the full details of the alert online at:

http://www.police.govt.nz/news/updates/22249.html