Man and his rock rescued by helicopter
Dominion Post via Stuff.co.nz
A man needed to be rescued from the Tararua Range by helicopter, along with a 10-kilogram rock he had found.
Sergeant Noel Bigwood of Otaki said the man, in his 40s, headed into the range from Poads Rd, Levin, on Saturday on a mission to collect a rock for the new Te Takere culture and community centre in Levin.
When he failed to return from the day trip by 9pm a friend contacted police. Inquiries found he had food for only a day, little clothing, no raincoat, map, compass or overnight gear.
A search team flew into the area on Sunday to check huts and routes and found him resting in a hut with a sore knee. The man was flown back to Levin, along with the rock he had collected.