Whakatane police are crediting a locator beacon with the rapid overnight rescue of three women who became lost in the bush.
The women activated the beacon about 8pm last night, which alerted the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) to their location in bush and rugged hill country about 4.5km east of Galatea, 77km southwest of Whakatane, Senior Sergeant Bruce Jenkins of Whakatane police said. RCCNZ found the man the beacon was registered to, whose 53-year-old wife had taken it on a two day hike in the area with two friends.
The group had been due out earlier in the day, but become lost in dense bush with light fading and weather conditions deteriorating, Mr Jenkins said.
A search team found the group about 3am safe and well.
They escorted the women to safety, coming out of the bush about 6.30am exhausted and wet, Mr Jenkins said.
Police praised the group for taking the beacon and using it when they needed to, as it allowed rescuers to find them as soon as possible in the rugged terrain.
The rescue highlighted the importance of hunters and trampers owning and using beacons, which cost about $600 and provided GPS locations with pinpoint accuracy, Mr Jenkins said.
All beacons were registered with the RCCNZ, which liaised with police and coastguard to find people in distress after it was alerted when a beacon was activated.
"Without them, lost or injured parties are reliant on being reported overdue, or a member of their own group going for help to raise the alarm.
"This can cause significant, unnecessary or even life threatening delays as rescuers try to establish the location of lost people in vast areas," Mr Jenkins said in a statement.
A helicopter could not be used in the search overnight because of the poor weather conditions.
Police were grateful to the search team, made up of four search and rescue volunteers, members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications, and a local man familiar with the area, for their "huge effort through rain, darkness and steep hill country" to rescue the women, Mr Jenkins said.
NZPA