Stories
December 8, 2025
When a group of nine friends set off on the Pinnacles Track on the Coromandel Peninsula, the plan was simple: enjoy a challenge, reach Crosbies Hut, and soak up the views. For Arthur, it was also a personal milestone, one of the biggest walks he’d attempted since recovering from back issues and undergoing major surgery earlier in the year.
“I’d been feeling pretty good,” he says. “I’d been to the chiropractor, the pain had settled, and I thought I was ready.”
The group started their hike in good spirits, climbing the familiar stone steps, crossing rivers, and navigating the increasingly muddy terrain. But as the track became more difficult, Arthur’s back began to tighten and ache.
“I didn’t want to hold anyone up, so I just kept pushing through,” he recalls.
Around mid-afternoon, while trying to avoid a muddy section by climbing up a small bank, he slipped and fell heavily, landing squarely on his lower back. The pain sharpened immediately.
“I knew then that something wasn’t right.”
Still determined, he continued slowly with the help of his friends, but the pain became overwhelming. By the time the group reached Crosbies Hut around 8pm, nearly 10 hours after they’d started, Arthur knew he couldn’t safely walk out.
“It was better to be safe than get stuck somewhere we couldn’t reach help,” he says.
From the hut, the group contacted emergency services, and the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked to respond. The crew reached Arthur at the remote hut, landing on the helicopter pad. Crew assessed his injuries and helped him to the helicopter. He was then flown to Thames Hospital for assessment and treatment.
Thankfully, X-rays showed no fractures, but Arthur had suffered a significant muscular strain through his lower and mid-back, extremely painful, especially after hours of hiking with a heavy pack.
“Honestly, the pain was intense,” he says. “But the crew were amazing. I felt looked after the whole time.”
After several hours in hospital receiving pain relief and monitoring, Arthur was discharged to rest and recover at home. While the hike didn’t end the way he hoped, the experience reinforced something important:
“The rescue helicopter was incredible. Knowing they can get to you in a place like that where there’s no one around and you can’t walk out, it means everything.”
Arthur is grateful not only to the crew, but also to his hiking group, who supported him throughout the day and helped carry his gear.
“They all had my back - literally,” he laughs.
He’s now recovering well and looking forward to getting outdoors again when the time is right.
