A grandmother and granddaughter who set out for a bush walk on Sunday
afternoon are no doubt thanking their lucky stars after a late night rescue.
The pair had set out at about 4.30pm on Sunday with their four dogs for an
afternoon walk at the base of the Mangamukas.
But after nearly three hours they quickly realised they had lost their way
and darkness was looming.
Constable Sam Davidson, from Whangārei Police Search and Rescue, says Police
received a call for help at about 7.40pm and it wasn’t long before a team
was assembled and deployed.
“The information we received indicated that both women were lightly dressed
and had no food or water.
“The granddaughter also had a mobile phone on her but it only had 10 per
cent battery and no data.
“A team of seven Far North Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) members left
Kerikeri at about 8.30pm and arrived at their last known location near
Abraham Road at about 9.20pm.”
Constable Davidson says the team were able to make voice contact after an
hour and by 11.35pm the pair were being walked out safe and well.
“It was a really good response and result.
“They had a couple of minor cuts and bruises but it was a fantastic team
effort.”
Constable Davidson says it was also a timely reminder for people to prepare
and be ready for an unexpected situation and to have the ability to navigate
if necessary, even if it’s just data on your phone.
“I also want to reiterate how important it is during these types of
situations that we back our LandSAR team.
“They are well-trained, efficient and experts in their field and we
couldn’t do what we do without them.”