Poor weather has hampered efforts to rescue two trampers, including a teenager, injured in the Tararua Ranges in the lower North Island.
Emergency services were told about 7:30pm yesterday that the pair, part of a group of three teenagers and an adult, had injured their knees and could not walk out unassisted, a statement from police says.
The group had been walking to Te Matawai Hut, near Levin, from Mangahao Dam yesterday.
A police helicopter attempted to pick up the pair today but low cloud and rain meant it had to turn back just 3km from Te Matawai Hut where the group is holed up.
A Search and Rescue member walked the 3km to the hut to spend the night with the group before a helicopter again tries to pick up the injured pair tomorrow morning.
The Search and Rescue member will walk out with the rest of the group once the two trampers have been collected.
NZN