At 4.40pm on Saturday 11th July 2015 Police received a phone call from a male who had been speaking to his wife by cellphone.
His wife had gone tramping with their 12 year old daughter in the Poukai Ranges, near Mount Taranaki and became stuck by the icy conditions and unable to get back out of the ranges.
His wife was carrying a cell phone and as she was in an area with cell phone reception. Police were able to use an application, sending a message to her cellphone which gave the Police her exact location.
Taranaki Police Search and Rescue were called out.
The Taranaki Rescue Helicopter was sent and they were able to fly to the exact area and pick up the duo, who were taken back to Taranaki Rescue Base. Both were tired, an ambulance was sent to assess the daughter, due to her being very cold. The duo were carrying good quality equipment with them and were prepared for the conditions.
Police advise the cell phone was handy on this occasion, as the missing party had strong cell phone reception, they also had with good battery power on the cell phone, as a result Police were able to locate their position easily.
Police do however advise that a personal locator beacon is the wisest piece of equipment to take with them in case of emergencies as these work by using statelite signals. They are more reliable than a cell phone, as cell phone reception is usually non-existent in mountain areas.