Mother and daughter trampers found safe after four days lost on the Kapakapanui Track in the Tararua Forest Park. As a mother, it’s terrifying’.
Advertisement
Carolyn Lloyd, 47, and her daughter Rachel, 22, had planned a hike on Tuesday but ended up stranded in rugged terrain in the Tararua Forest. The discovery came two days after the mother and daughter failed to check out of their hotel as scheduled.
The pair, from America, had vanished four days earlier after getting lost during what was supposed to be a one-day hike on the Kapakapanui Track.
“We were even discussing going through my dying wishes which I’m sure wasn’t easy for her”. “My mom was incredible”.
The pair held each other for warmth at night, had meals of a few nuts and when Rachel “lost all my senses” her mum carried her on her back, made a camp and built a help sign in a river bed.
Gardiner said they were in touch with Rachel’s father and Carolyn’s husband Barry Lloyd immediately upon hearing. Instead of following the orange trail markers, “we saw blue markers and thought this must be another track to go down the mountain”, said Carolyn.
But they made two “help” signs and arrows pointing to their location, Jason Diedrichs, director and chief pilot with Amalgamated Helicopters, told ABC News. She is studying this semester at Massey University in New Zealand, according to the New Zealand Herald. They were later spotted by a search helicopter and airlifted to a hospital.
Carolyn, 45, said she was watching Rachel fade away and suffer.
Police put out a statement on Friday calling for sightings of the missing women, saying they had not checked out of a motel as expected, had not dropped off a rental auto and had not contacted family.
Two dog teams, helicopters and 4WD are being used in the search this morning and police are appealing to anyone who may have seen two women on the track in the past week, or anyone who may have seen their vehicle, a silver Toyota Yaris hire auto, registration DLZ 347.
Sergeant Anthony Harmer said the police were applauding the pair for their calm thinking.
Advertisement
Carolyn Lloyd’s brother, John Schumacher, said he was extremely grateful for all those who helped with the search.
