Richie McCaw comes to the rescue...

Richie McCaw comes to the rescue…

All Black legend Richie McCaw has been putting his chopper pilot skills to good use this weekend to help reduce avalanche risk at Porters Ski Area near Christchurch.

The ski fields were today after more than half a metre of snow raised the avalanche risk to ‘very high’ reported the New Zealand Herald.


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Around 60cm of snow fell on Friday and Saturday at the ski area, which is an hour west of Christchurch.

Porters had hoped to clear the snow this morning and open today but foggy conditions slowed the work and the ski area remains closed.



McCaw earned his helicopter pilot’s licence after retiring from rugby following the 2015 World Cup. He is now an owner and director of Christchurch Helicopters.

As well as stopping avalanches he’s previously been called in to help fight the Port Hills fires and save the Marlborough region’s grape harvest from frosts.