British climber in New Zealand rescued after UK alert

A British man who injured his leg while climbing in New Zealand was rescued after activating a personal locator beacon that alerted the UK Coastguard.

The mountaineer, 64, from Leeds, was trying to reach the summit of Mount Mabel, 7km south of Aoraki (Mount Cook) on the South Island, when he slipped.

After he activated the locator beacon, the UK Coastguard notified rescuers thousands of miles away in New Zealand.

The climber was found in a steep gully at about 22:30 local time on Sunday.

'Tight position'He had slipped in the snow and injured himself on the rocks of Mount Mabel's western peak.

Rescuers were lowered to the mountain's slopes and the man, who has not been identified, was winched aboard a helicopter and flown to Mount Cook village for a medical assessment.

Search and rescue co-ordinator Dave Wilson said: "The helicopter crew have done a great job in reasonably challenging circumstances.

"While it was a clear, calm night, the man was in a very tight position with little room to move.
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"His leg injury is not thought to be serious but he was not able to able to walk without assistance."