Daring escape for six trapped NZ teenagers

[Wayne Harrison]

Daring escape for six trapped teenagers
TV3 News, New Zealand - 1 hour ago



Six teenagers trapped in a cave on the east coast of Northland were treated for hypothermia in hospital after their rescue late last night.

The 13 to 15-year-old students from Northcote College in Auckland went into the cave at Waipu south of Whangarei yesterday morning but they were trapped by a lunchtime downpour.

Firefighters who were among 50 rescue personnel at the scene had to pump water from the cave until the children could be roped to near the cave entrance.

<a href="http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/Schoolchildrenrescuedafterbeingtrappedincavebyfloodwater/tabid/309/articleID/35163/Default.aspx#video">Video Report on rescue</a>

<a href="http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/Story/tabid/209/articleID/35193/Default.aspx">via TV3 News</a> and <a href="http://news.google.com/news?ned=nz&ncl=1121038899&hl=en&topic=h&scoring=n">Google News</a>

[NZcaver]

Six teenagers trapped in a cave on the east coast of Northland were treated for hypothermia in hospital after their rescue late last night.

The 13 to 15-year-old students from Northcote College in Auckland went into the cave at Waipu south of Whangarei yesterday morning but they were trapped by a lunchtime downpour.

That's my old school!

There were no school caving trips back when I was there, though. Had to do those on our own.

[she3]

Hi, I'm the mother of one of the girl's rescued from the cave, Just letting you guy's know the kid's are all good and have decided to stay and carry on with their adventure's,
They have been busy mountain biking yesterday and today.


And to the above poster, It wasn't with the school it was with Project K who work along side school's.

[NZcaver]

Hi, I'm the mother of one of the girl's rescued from the cave, Just letting you guy's know the kid's are all good and have decided to stay and carry on with their adventure's,
They have been busy mountain biking yesterday and today.


And to the above poster, It wasn't with the school it was with Project K who work along side school's.

Hi she3

Glad to hear your daughter and the others are all OK, and are continuing with their adventures.

Back when I was at school, we didn't have an organization working alongside the school to facilitate an adventure program like this. Project K works as a school-supported program, and I think that's great. Twenty years ago there were regular school camps, but we had to beg teachers to chaperone us on our overnight tramping trips. There were no school caving trips, but a large bunch of us (and one teacher) did get to go parachuting one time. Fun!

[NZcaver]

Some follow-up news related to this rescue last year...

Police award for cavers' saviour
13.09.2008
by Eleanor Woods
The Northern Advocate (Whangarei, New Zealand)

A heroic police worker broke the stereotype of IT workers as indoorsy computer nerds when he gallantly saved a group of trapped cavers.

The police information technology worker was awarded a District Commander's commendation for outstanding service for helping save six North Shore school kids and two adults, who were trapped in the Waipu Caves on September 20 last year.

Full story here