New Zealand: American Hiker Dies from Hypothermia

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | May 2nd, 2006 | Trackback

A 70-year-old American woman became the sixth tourist to die this year while hiking in the mountains when she and her partner, a 64-year-old American man, got disoriented at the top of their trek on the Tongariro Crossing and lost their way as night fell. They felt they had lost the trail because the descent looked too steep, then became hypothermic in weather that suddenly had turned very cold. According to rescue officials, they did not have adequate clothing for the conditions, which can change rapidly from clear and warm to cold and windy. New Zealanders know how quickly the weather can change here, but visitors often fail to heed advice to carry clothing for all weather conditions, and too often get in trouble. Mt. Tongariro is a 6,297-foot volcano in a national park in the center of the North Island.

Home » Disasters, Oceania, New Zealand

If you found "New Zealand: American Hiker Dies from Hypothermia" useful or interesting, please share it with others by bookmarking it at any of the following sites: