A woman tramper who became separated from her companions in Kahurangi National Park on Sunday has been located.
Thirty five year old Siobhan Flynn, originally from Strandhill, Sligo, in Ireland, was with a group of five who had entered the area from Mt Arthur. The group stayed Saturday night at Salisbury Hut before departing for Karamea Bend on Sunday morning.
Along the way the group became separated. Four members made it to Karamea Bend, but Ms Flynn never arrived.
The group stayed Sunday night at Karamea Bend before one tramped back out via Mt Arthur looking for Ms Flynn over Monday and raised the alarm on Tuesday afternoon.
Last night Ms Flynn arrived at a friend's house in Nelson with an American woman who had assisted her after she suffered a fall and became lost.
She told Police that on Sunday while walking alone she fell off a ledge and believes she lay unconscious for several hours. When she regained consciousness she managed to climb back up the ledge but was disoriented and unable to continue far due to darkness. She said she spent that night huddled under trees. She put on all of her clothing and got inside her sleeping bag to keep warm.
Ms Flynn has little recollection of Monday however she believes she made it to Mytton Hut where she rested for a while, replenished her water and decided to continue on. She reached what is believed to be Trilobite Hut about 3am on Tuesday. Sleeping inside the hut was a lone woman tramper who was a doctor from the United States.
Ms Flynn said the doctor, and experienced mountaineer, treated her for mild hypothermia and inspected her head injury. The pair then walked out of the area together via the Cobb Valley and then hitch hiked to Nelson.
Police Search and Rescue Coordinator Constable Malcolm York said Ms Flynn was extremely lucky to have survived and to have come across the doctor.
He said she was shaken and traumatised by the experience, but was receiving good support from friends and did not require further medical treatment.
He said that while the group had made a bad decision to separate, Ms Flynn did the right thing by leaving her intentions in the hut log.
"That information prevented Police launching a large scale search and allayed our immediate fears for her safety," Constable York said.
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Media Inquiries to Tasman Police Communications Manager Barbara Dunn, Ph 0274 780853.