Golden Bay LandSAR teams have located a 64-year-old female who was reported overdue on the Kaituna Track, Southwest of Collingwood Township, Golden Bay.
Police were alerted to the overdue tramper at 10:00pm last night after she failed to make her scheduled pick up at 8:00pm.
Three teams of local Land Search and Rescue volunteers were deployed into the field and successfully located the woman at around 2:30am.
She had underestimated the time it would take her to complete the tramp and when it got dark she found it difficult to find the next marker on the track.
Sergeant Jonathan Davies, Takaka Police, says the woman used her experience and made the sensible decision to stay put and await daylight.
“This rescue really highlights the need for trampers to seek advice from the Department of Conservation prior to departing. This is especially relevant if they are unfamiliar with the area and are travelling alone” he says.
The LandSAR teams assisted her off the track and back to her accommodation before daybreak.
