Searchers have found two teens lost in Wellington regional park

Saturday, 8 April 2017

Two 14-year-old boys who became lost overnight in a Wellington regional park have been found safe and well, despite spending a cold night in the bush wearing only t-shirts and shorts.

Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) teams resumed searching early on Sunday morning, but the boys were found by members of public who happened to be walking in the area about 8.20am.

Police sergeant Matthew Wheble, who was in charge of the search, said the boys had built themselves a good shelter and managed to get a good night's sleep.

The MetService had predicted temperatures down to 5 degrees Celcius in Lower Hutt overnight, but Wheble said the area where the boys were found would have been a lot colder.

'They would have had each other to keep themselves warm. I know one of them is involved with Scouts, and obviously that experience has helped him and the other boy.'

Wheble said the boys became lost after going for a run from the top of Wainuiomata Hill, and had been able to sustain themselves by foraging.

'They ate some ferns to get themselves some food, so they know some bush skills, which is great.'

'The boys are now back with their families and are being assessed by paramedics.'

The two boys, both from Lower Hutt, were reported missing in East Harbour Regional Park on Saturday.

The pair had cellphones and had been in contact with their parents via text, who alerted police on Saturday afternoon.

Searches involving five ground teams, a SAR dog and a helicopter were carried out until midnight on Saturday. LandSAR teams from Wairarapa joined those from Wellington for the search.

Wheble said it was quite a common area for people to get lost, often after walkers left the tracks to investigate Gollans Stream.

Police constable Hamish Knight said the boys had contacted family to say they had gone off track above York Bay.

The boys were prepared for a day trip, with minimal food and clothing, left around 9.30am on Saturday..'

LandSAR and police search teams had made contact with the teenagers intermittently during the search and they had been asked to stay put while the search takes place.

Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said

the area of the forest where the teens became lost was a busy spot.

'There are a lot of reasonably steep sections of bush and it's pretty dense, so once you go off the beaten track it can be pretty easy to be turned around and not find your way back,' he said.

'It's not a general rule, but in this particular environment if you just keep walking down the hill you end up in farmland or at the back of people's houses.'

Daisley said day walks were often where people got into trouble, because they didn't make the same preparations as over-night or multi-day tramps.

'Some pretty simple planning can avoid an unexpected night out – like checking where the tracks are, having a look at the area on a map so you are aware of different ways you might have to come out,' he said.

'We always encourage people to take a jacket at this time of year and a bit of extra food.'