A search and rescue operation in Te Urewera National Park has been given a new focus thanks to information from another hunter.
Search and rescue teams walked into the area overnight to look for a hunter reported overdue by the rest of his group.
This afternoon a man unrelated to the hunting party contacted police to advise that he had come across a lost hunter at approximately midday yesterday (Thursday, 10 April). The lost hunter introduced himself and the name given matches that of the person search and rescue teams are currently looking for. He was reportedly in good spirits, had food supplies and was approximately 10km south of where the group were camping. They had been camping by Kaitawa Stream and he was seen by Pukareao Stream. The hunter was given instructions on how to get back to his campsite.
It is possible that the hunter is still following those instructions and just hasn’t yet made it back to camp. Search and rescue teams are re-focusing their search based on this new information and the instructions the lost hunter was provided.