The three women and children reported missing in Silverpeaks, near Dunedin, last night after they were late returning from a walk, have been located safe and well overnight.
A helicopter using night vision goggles found the group at approximately 1am after they picked up the light from a cell phone screen.
The group were checked over by medical staff and apart from being very cold, were uninjured.
They were very grateful to the search teams including Police and LandSAR volunteers from North Otago, Balclutha, Catlins, Dunedin, the Heli Otago team and LandSAR dogs, for finding them.
This is a timely reminder that people planning a tramp always follow the outdoor code:
-Plan your trip – seek local knowledge and plan the route you will take and the amount of time you can reasonable expect it to take
-Tell someone – Tell someone your plans and leave a date for when to raise the alarm if you haven’t returned
-Be aware of the weather – NZs weather can be highly unpredictable. Check the forecast and expect weather changes
-Know your limits – Challenge yourself within your physical limits and experiences
-Take sufficient supplies – Made sure you have enough food, equipment, clothing and emergency rations for the worst case scenario. Take an appropriate means of communications.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
