I was around 1,600 km into a 7,000 km solo walk around New Zealand. The journey took me from Cape Reinga toward Bluff and beyond. I was fundraising for Land Search and Rescue New Zealand while walking through the country.

Deep in the Tararua Range, I was heading toward Wellington on a steep track. A rock moved unexpectedly beneath me. I fell, and tree roots trapped my left leg.

I knew I had suffered a serious injury. Later, at the hospital, doctors confirmed that I had broken my left leg in three places.

As soon as I could, I took out my ACR personal locator beacon and activated it. I believed my leg was broken, and I knew I needed help. The emergency beacon activation gave me a way to call for assistance from deep in the range. I could not continue the walk, so I waited for rescuers to find me.

Some time later, I heard a helicopter searching for me. That sound brought enormous relief after the fall and the uncertainty that followed. A rescuer came down from the helicopter by winch. They secured me, and the crew winched us both back into the aircraft.

The helicopter took me to Palmerston North Hospital. There, surgeons operated to repair my leg. This PLB rescue brought professional help to my location when I could not get myself off the track. It gave me a way to call for assistance in a remote place after a serious injury.

I am now recovering and preparing to restart my walk around New Zealand. The journey is not over, and I look forward to returning to the trail and continuing the fundraising effort that means so much to me.