Chopper winches injured hiker to safety | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

Hearing the rescue helicopter arrive was "the best sound", Clint Thomsen said today.

The Takapau tramper had been waiting with his injured wife, Shelley, in a cold creek in the Ruahine Ranges on Saturday.

They were part of a hiking party that had gone up to Matthew's Stream about 10am. When they were walking out down the stream about 2pm, Mrs Thomsen slipped and got her foot trapped under a boulder and broke her leg.

Mr Thomsen said there was no way the group could get her out.

"It was smack down this narrow gully in the bush," Mr Thomsen said.

Once the group realised how serious the situation had become, the decision to split up was made. Three people hiked out to try to get cellphone coverage but even when they made it back to the car park there was no reception. One of the hikers then slipped into an unlocked farm house and made the emergency call.

"We ended up spending 2 1/2 hours in the creek and it got cold," Mr Thomsen said. "She was shivering and shaking. When the helicopter got there, it was the best sound I had heard for years. It was pretty emotional.

"They had a bit of trouble finding us. We could hear them working around.

"The pilot was hovering ... trying to get into a position and trying to drop down a paramedic."

His wife was flown to Hawke's Bay Regional Hospital. It was possible she would be released this afternoon. She was "devastated" her leg would be in a cast for six weeks as she was training for the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge.

When the hiking group had been having lunch she had quipped that to get out of the hike back she could be winched out, he said. "You should never really wish for those things."