A 16-year-old man from Nelson was flown to Nelson hospital today at 4.52pm on Tuesday by the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter.

The patient, a German exchange student, was part of a Nelson College School tramp in the Ella Range.

He fell crossing the Waston Creek on his way up to Mole Hut and injured his ankle.

The accident is believed to have happened shortly after 12pm.

The group set off an emergency beacon due to the patient being unable to walk on his injured leg.

The accident occurred in a narrow ravine and this may have led to the 406 beacon not being picked up by satellite until just after 1530.

The beacon was tracked using our onboard beacon tracker.

The group set up a large fly in the river bed which made the detection of the group easier.

'We were tasked by the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Wellington and a St John Intensive Care Paramedic was winched down to treat the patient,” says a rescue helicopter spokesperson.

The patient was then winched into the helicopter and flown to Nelson Hospital for further treatment.

Source: Nelson/Marlborough Rescue Helicopter.