Missing Tramper found with help of cellphone

Police and members of Wellington Search and Rescue spent several hours last night searching for a solo tramper on the slopes of Kapakapanui near Waikanae.

The 37 yr old man was dropped off at Otaki Forks on Saturday morning to complete a 2 day tramp to Reikorangi via Kapakapanui.

He used a cellphone to call a family member yesterday afternoon after he had become too cold and tired to continue; Police were alerted at around 3.30pm, and made contact with him on the cellphone. He explained where he had come from, and told Police he thought he was about an hour from the Ngatiawa road end.
2 Police Search and Rescue members headed up the track he said he was on, intending to locate him and assist him to the road end.

A search of the full Kapakapanui Loop track failed to find any trace of him, and more Search and Rescue Teams were sent into the area late Sunday night.

Police SAR deployed the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to the area this morning with another SAR Team; the helicopter crew was able to make contact with the missing tramper on his cellphone, and he directed the helicopter to his location on a ridge approximately 5 kilometers away from where he had earlier told Police he thought he was.

He was winched from the bush and flown back to the Westpac hangar where he quickly made a full recovery with the help of dry clothes and hot drinks.

Emile is an experienced tramper who has completed many successful solo trips; he has not been in this area of the Tararaus before however. He told Police he had difficulty following the track from Maymorn Junction to Kapakapanui, as it was covered at many points with windfall, making the track markers hard to find at times.

He said the weather was abysmal when he got to the top of Kapakapanui, and in his haste to get off the tops he took a wrong turn and went back down the track that he just walked up. After he became too cold to continue he stopped and got into his sleeping bag inside his pack liner after calling his wife. After several hours and another attempt to walk out, he realised he was on the wrong track, so set up camp for the night.
Police SAR say he was fortunate to be in a remote bush area with cellphone coverage. Much of the success of the search can be attributed to the fact Police were able to talk to him, and narrow down the area he was in and direct resources accordingly.