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The view from the top of Mount Stoke, looking towards the Cook Strait and the North Island on the horizon.
A tramper who got separated from her partner has been found safe and well, but the incident has prompted a warning for trampers.
Police were alerted to a report of a tramper lost on the Mount Stokes Track, in the outer Marlborough Sounds, about 8pm on Wednesday.
Police, a dog team and two Land Search and Rescue teams responded immediately, a police spokesperson said.
The search went throughout the night in difficult terrain, until the tramper was located about 7am on Thursday.
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She was not injured, and was able to walk out of the track with the Police and LandSAR teams, to be reunited with her partner, the spokesperson said.
Police and LandSAR wanted to remind people to take all appropriate safety measures when going into the bush. Personal locator beacons were recommended, even for those with plenty of experience.
The Mountain Safety Council also warned keen adventurers to be safe as the weather cooled, and reminded hikers and trampers to take a cautious approach to winter tramping and hiking, particularly over the long King’s Birthday weekend.
The former Queen’s Birthday weekend typically had triple the number of injuries and rescues of trampers of other long weekends, making it the public holiday weekend with the highest incident rate, according to 2016 data.
Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said common injuries were due to slips, trips and falls, as well as getting lost in the dark. Alongside injuries, the risk of hypothermia was also increased as winter weather set in.
NZ Mountain Safety Council
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“Packing warm layered clothing, a rain jacket, a warm hat and gloves, a head torch and an appropriate emergency communication device are the absolute minimum, regardless of the weather forecast and length of trip,” he said.
This time of year, things could change quickly, and people should make a backup plan alongside their original plan, no matter their capabilities, he said.
“It’s really easy to underestimate the importance of quality planning and preparation during the colder months, even for short local walks,” Daisley said.
“Having a Plan B and a few extra supplies like a spare warm layer could be one of the most valuable decisions you make this holiday break.”
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