Rescuers hopeful after trapped tramper's locator beacon 'pinged' near shelter

An experienced tramper battling “horrendous” conditions without a tent or sleeping bag in the Tararua Forest Park north of Wellington may have saved himself after making a dash for a hut.

Police Search and Rescue co-ordinator Tony Matheson said a ping from the man's personal locator beacon was picked up near a ridge line shelter on Monday afternoon, which was hopeful.

The man, whom Stuff understands is 45-year-old Wellingtonian Caleb Smith, was stuck on a spur north of Jumbo Peak in woeful weather overnight on Sunday.

When Stuff briefly made contact with Smith on Monday (he had cellphone coverage at the time), he responded with: “It’s me. Can’t really talk”. Smith said he was OK, but cold.

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Matheson said the tramper was attempting to make it along the ridge to McGregor Bivouac – an effective shelter from the storm.

Search and Rescue headquarters continued to get pings from his personal locator beacon on Monday, which the man activated at 9pm on Sunday night, and they had intermittent contact via cellphone, Matheson said.

Matheson estimated the last locator contact was 200 metres from the shelter, so his team was hopeful he had made it there but couldn't be certain.

In a further statement issued just before 5pm, a police spokeswoman said search-and-rescue personnel were continuing to monitor the tramper’s location via his personal locator beacon.

In the meantime, they were asking people to stay away from the area over worries other trampers’ footprints may give searchers “false clues”.

Search-and-rescue crews also spent Sunday night in huts after finding a second tramper in the area – a woman who walked out with rescuers on Monday morning.

PIERS FULLER/STUFF

Two rescue teams stayed at Jumbo Hut and Atiwhakatu Hut overnight and one set out on Monday morning to try to locate the stranded man by travelling along the ridge line, but were forced to take shelter because the winds were too dangerous.

Police said the man was an experienced tramper who had left Wellington early on Sunday with the intention of walking to McGregor along the Pinnacle Ridge and completing the Baldy circuit.

He had some bushcraft gear, but no overnight equipment such as a sleeping bag or tent, Matheson said.

The Wellington rescue helicopter had been contacted, but was unable to fly due to weather conditions in the area.

MetService issued a strong-wind warning for the Wairarapa and Tararua districts until 6pm on Monday, with northwest gales and gusts reaching 130kmh. A heavy-rain warning was also issued for the Tararua Range with up to 100mm expected to fall between about midday and 9pm on Monday.

Another search-and-rescue team stayed overnight in Powell Hut after being called to assist a woman who was blown over multiple times by high winds while hiking along the ridge line between Mt Holdsworth and Jumbo Peak.

Police were called at 11.05am on Sunday after a 35-year-old Kāpiti woman requested help when she became stranded. She had been hiking solo between Jumbo Hut and Powell Hut.

She was stranded at 1400 metres altitude and unable to continue in the prevailing rain and wind. The wind chill factor was -5 degrees Celsius.

The woman stayed where she was, sought shelter from the wind, and used her sleeping bag to stay warm until the rescue party arrived.

Police said she was not reported to be injured but was suffering mild hypothermia.