Photo: 123RF
A 61-year-old man has been rescued in the Lake Hauroko area after he became lost while tramping over the weekend.
Police say the Rescue Coordination Centre was notified of a personal locator beacon being activated at around 8pm on Saturday near the Teal Bay Hut track.
Rescuers were flown in from Southland and Fiordland to search for him in difficult terrain.
He was found uninjured but cold and dehydrated at 3am on Sunday.
Because of the rough terrain and dense vegetation he could not be winched out of the bush and instead was taken to the Teal Bay Hut after he was assessed and warmed up.
"Due to the beacon being damaged a large degree of talent and a small amount of good luck saw the man successfully located," police on-scene coordinator Sergeant Alun Griffiths said.
Police were reminding people to carry a personal locator beacon when exploring the outdoors and to use it if you feel in danger and cannot contact emergency services.
Beacons should be registered [www.beacons.org.nz here].
Police said the lifesaving tool allowed rescue teams to respond as soon as possible but people should be prepared to manage their own survival until assistance comes.