Search for missing hunter. Tararuas

Members of Police Search and Rescue and the Westpac Rescue helicopter spent several hours on Saturday searching for a hunter and his dog in the Waiotauru/Renata Ridge area of the Tararua ranges.

Sergeant Jo Holden, Wellington Police Search and Rescue coordinator said the 23 yr old man was reported overdue on Saturday morning. He had left an Otaki address on Tuesday, and told friends he would be out of the hills on Thursday; Police ascertained that he was likely to drive to the Akatarawa Saddle and go into the bush on his quad bike. He had food and was equipped to stay overnight, but he had no cellphone or radio with him, and had not specified where he intended to go.

Police located his vehicle parked on the Akatarawa Saddle; fortunately a number of other trampers and hunters in the area spoken to by Police were able to confirm that his quad bike was in bushes approximately 15 kilometers along Waiotauru Road. The Westpac Rescue helicopter flew Police SAR Squad members and Police SAR Dog Handler the area to try to establish his direction of travel; the helicopter then searched surrounding ridges and spurs by air.

Several huts were checked, but he had made no logbook entries in any of the huts he visited.
Other trampers told Police they spoke to him at Elder Hut on Friday; he left the hut at 3pm that afternoon to hunt, intending to return that night, but did not return.

While plans were being made to fly further Land SAR Searchers to the area to continue the Search overnight, Police SAR located footprints and dog prints between Elder Hut and the Southern Main Range of the Tararuas; shortly after 5.45pm, the missing hunter and his dog were found sitting on the track.

He was dehydrated, confused and incoherent; he had no wet weather gear, torch or overnight equipment with him, and was not wearing a shirt or top. He claimed he went down a spur off the main track and shot a deer, but his knife was too blunt to butcher it; he stayed overnight where he was, and said he managed to clamber back up to the track in daylight. Police SAR were able to walk him back to Elder hut, where he was assessed by a Wellington Free Ambulance paramedic and flown to hospital by Westpac Rescue.