An injured mum and three children have been rescued following a hike in a forest in Hawke's Bay over the weekend.
Police were alerted around 5.45pm on Sunday after a man's calls failed to connect to his wife, Inspector Caroline Martin said. The woman and their children had been expected back from a short afternoon hike in Kawera Forest Park.
The Rescue Coordination Centre tasked a police search and rescue team with finding the missing whānau in the 594 square kilometre forest.
Police contacted the man's wife through their activated personal locator beacon, which helped the rescue team find the family.
Five search and rescue members set off on foot and found the family, who were in good spirits.
"SAR staff discovered the woman had injured herself during the hike and couldn’t walk. The three children weren’t hurt," Martin said.
The search and rescue crew stayed with the quartet in a nearby hut overnight before being airlifted out on Monday afternoon.
Police commended the family’s decision to carry a personal locator beacon.
"We always recommend that you carry the appropriate emergency equipment such as a PLB and a satellite communication device no matter how long or short a hiking trip may be. Mobile phones don’t always have service in remote areas," she said.
SHARE ME