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Taradale High School student found by helicopter after Ruahine Forest Park search

A 17-year-old separated from a school hiking group was found on 14 October and reunited with his parents. His father said he was being taken to hospital for checks.

Sunrise Hut with a woodshed and firewood in the foreground, and Armstrong Saddle behind it.
Sunrise Hut in Ruahine Forest Park, photographed at dawn on 23 June 2022. Context photograph; it does not show the search or rescue. Geoff McKay from Palmerston North, New Zealand — Geoff McKay, ‘Dawn at Sunrise Hut (52205466079)’ (resized and converted to WebP). CC BY 2.0.Image sourceImage licence: CC BY 2.0
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A 17-year-old Taradale High School student who became separated from a school hiking group in New Zealand’s Ruahine Forest Park was found by helicopter on 14 October and reunited with his parents, according to RNZ and Hawke’s Bay Today.

How the Ruahine Forest Park search unfolded

Police said they were made aware around 7:10pm on Tuesday, 13 October, that the student had become separated from his group, and responded immediately. Hawke’s Bay Today reported that an Air Force helicopter crew found him shortly after 1:30pm the next day and winched him to safety.

The student’s father told Hawke’s Bay Today that his son was conscious, appeared relatively well and was being taken to hospital for checks. Hawke’s Bay Today reported that he may have suffered a head knock and been unconscious for a time.

Sources and context

AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.

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