Two hunters, one suffering hypothermia, are lucky to have survived atrocious conditions in the bush near Rotorua today, say police.
The two men, aged 54 and 21 years, called police about 6.30am today to say they were lost on Mt Tarawera and the younger man was suffering from hypothermia, said Detective Sergeant John Wilson of Rotorua police.
Rotorua police search and rescue staff spent the day searching for the pair before they were found south of the summit about 3pm and brought off the mountain just after 5pm.
"They were extremely fortunate to have not perished in the extreme weather."
"During the search [the weather] can best be described as horrendous, with the search area being near the top of the mountain in driving rain, with limited visibility, and extreme terrain," Mr Wilson said.
"Given the weather experienced on this day, the pair were very lucky to have got off so lightly."
Anyone headed into the outdoors needed to be well prepared for anything, he said.
Earlier today the body of solo hunter Alan Joseph Wilkinson, 50, from Levin, was recovered in freezing conditions in Mid Canterbury's Clyde River Valley.
NZPA