A rainbow over Borland Saddle, Fiordland. Photo:
An experienced tramper has been rescued by police after becoming disoriented in low cloud.
Police said the woman was tramping in Fiordland's Borland Saddle area last Saturday when she became lost.
She contacted police around 7pm, asking for help as she did not have a GPS with her.
Invercargill Police Search and Rescue Sergeant Dougall Henderson said the tourist knew the area, but became disoriented due to low cloud.
"Although she was well-prepared for a day tramp and was quite experienced, she only had her mobile phone. She had been walking around for several hours before raising the alarm," Henderson said.
"The irony is, she owns a distress beacon (personal locator beacon) and didn't think she would need it because she knew the area, but as it turns out - she did need it."
Police soon figured out where she was.
"The helicopter got to within 500 metres of the tramper but couldn't climb any higher due to poor visibility, as she was 1440 metres up the saddle," said Southern Lakes Helicopters crewperson Richie Hunter.
"Based on local knowledge, police knew there was a high drop-off, and she could have fallen. We told her not to descend to the chopper and we did attempt to get her with the chopper from multiple directions, but it was too cloudy and wasn't safe.
"We dropped the SAR team on the ground at the Borland Saddle and they walked two hours in to find her at 11.30pm, so she was lucky."
Hunter reiterated the importance of carrying a locator beacon in case of an emergency. He said they were "more powerful" than other options, "accurate and provide a rapid response by emergency services".
It was the best device for pinpointing a location and helping an aircraft, he said.
"We have found, with other devices, the information is delayed and often difficult to locate them without the homing function in rugged country."
Search and rescue volunteer Mark Sweeney said the woman was "annoyed" she had not taken her distress beacon or a GPS.
"We were able to plot her exact location, so she was told to stay put due to being several kilometres from the nearest track.
"She was fine, in good spirits and not injured. She had the right clothes and food and was well equipped for a day tramp, but not prepared for sleeping out overnight."