From Mount Taranaki to half-marathon

For hiking enthusiast Philip Barlow, a hike up Mount Taranaki with his son Hugh changed for the worst when injury struck. The Taranaki Rescue Helicopter was tasked to help.

Philip Barlow, 60, said it had been a fine summer’s day in December 2022 when he and his son had begun hiking Mount Taranaki.

“I remember it was a beautiful day on the mountain, and we reached the top in about four and a half hours. It was an interesting climb, and quite physical and difficult at points.

“We were almost all the way back down the mountain – we had gone through The Lizard [a point on Mount Taranaki] and the scoria scree which can be a pretty brutal part of the descent. Just before the Rock Garden, my leg just gave out and I tore the tendons at the back of my quadricep.”

“It really did hurt. I just couldn’t support my weight when I tried to walk. It was very painful.”

Barlow said given the nature of the injury and his location on the mountain, it proved impossible to descend on foot from that point.

The pair rang emergency services, which then dispatched the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter to medevac Barlow off the mountain.

“We had no choice but to call the emergency services. It was only about 20 minutes before we heard the helicopter.”

Philip said hearing the helicopter as it approached his position provided a huge sense of reassurance from where he way lying.

“Because of where we were in the gully, they couldn’t winch me out, so the paramedic was dropped off at the top of the steps and hiked down to meet me. They helped me make my way back up the steps to where the helicopter was hovering, and they medevac’d me out and delivered me to Taranaki Base Hospital.”

Now, thankful for the service provided by the Rescue Helicopter and fully recovered from his injury, Barlow will be running the Auckland Half Marathon next April to raise money for the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter.

Barlow said it was about getting back to doing what he loves and raising money for a good cause.