He said the alert was picked up by the Rescue Coordination Centre in Wellington, and other members of the kayaker\u2019s group ran to get help from a nearby farmer and called 111.<\/p>\n
Grylls said the rescue site was in a remote area of a river gorge about 4.5km up Soldiers Rd.<\/p>\n
He said police led the rescue on the ground, assisted by Fire and Emergency, Tauranga Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) and Hato Hone St John. <\/p>\n
An injured kayaker was rescued from a river gorge in the Kaimai Range on November 19, thanks to a multi-agency response including volunteers from Fire and Emergency NZ and Tauranga LandSAR. Photo \/ NZME<\/p>\n
The Tauranga rescue helicopter was also called, but the weather repeatedly stopped it from flying into the area.<\/p>\n
A rope rescue team from Hamilton, a specialist swift water rescue crew from Rotorua and seven volunteer firefighters from the Tauranga station were among those involved.<\/p>\n
Grylls said by the time the firefighters arrived, the LandSAR volunteers had cut a track through the bush, enabling the rescuers to reach the kayaker.<\/p>\n
He said the rescue was achieved through \u201csheer manpower\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an awesome co-ordinated effort by all the volunteers using a haulage system, and climbing hand over hand up the 150m steep track to get the stretchered kayaker back up to the roadside.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt took about 30 minutes. It was extremely steep terrain, thick bush and bloody hard work, but with everyone coming together, we managed to do so in about 30 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grylls said the injured teen was \u201cincredibly brave and stoic\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t panic despite being bumped as he was hauled up the steep track, which made our job easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was taken to Tauranga Hospital by a Hato Hone St John ambulance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was an awesome team effort by everyone involved, and the kayaker and his group did all the right things when they got into difficulties.\u201d <\/p>\n
How the complex rescue happened<\/p>\n
A Rescue Coordination Centre statement said it co-ordinated the \u201cmulti-agency response\u201d after a beacon was activated at 3.10pm by a kayaking group member. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a complex rescue with a good outcome in the face of very poor weather and a hazardous location, in a steep river gorge.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll organisations involved should rightly be proud of their commitment and work, and the situation required constant appraisal and reassessment for the safety of the responders and the patient.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first communication with the Tauranga rescue helicopter service was at 3.24pm, but the weather was \u201cbelow minimum operating limits to safely fly\u201d.<\/p>\n
Over the next few hours, the weather and flying conditions were constantly reassessed.<\/p>\n
The centre also worked with the police, who activated a LandSAR team at 3.32pm.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team of volunteers were briefed on the situation and their task, prepared themselves and their equipment, then travelled with ambulance staff to the incident site, firstly by vehicle, then on foot.\u201d<\/p>\n
They reached the injured kayaker at 5.35pm. Ambulance staff provided an initial assessment and treatment to keep him stable.<\/p>\n
By then, the weather conditions had eased enough for the rescue helicopter to attempt to access the scene and recover the injured person.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the weather deteriorated again, and the helicopter crew had returned to base.\u201d<\/p>\n
At that point, the statement said the Fire and Emergency swift water and rope rescue teams were called on.<\/p>\n
\u201cTogether in co-ordination with the LandSAR team and ambulance staff, they were able to carry the patient by stretcher to a point where they could be transferred to a waiting ambulance.\u201d<\/p>\n
The centre\u2019s statement said careful planning and the ability to change plans quickly were key to achieving the successful response and keeping everyone safe in the trying conditions.<\/p>\n
It thanked all those involved in the response.<\/p>\n