Dad finds missing girl but ends up lost as well

A search for a missing walker in the Marlborough Sounds was called off when the 16-year-old girl was found by her dad, but it soon became a search for two.

Land Search and Rescue Marlborough received a call about 9pm on February 22 reporting a girl missing near Havelock.

When LandSAR field team leader and chairman Peter Hamill arrived at the Blenheim police station, he learnt that the girl was lost on a hill slope near Fairy Bay in the Pelorus Sound.

She had walked up a ridge, from where the family was staying in a bach, but couldn’t find her way back. She still had phone reception and was able to make a call for help.

Her dad had ventured out looking for her, as the LandSAR team made their final checks before setting out.

They phoned the missing girl before leaving Blenheim and learnt that her father had found her and ‘‘they were OK’’.

The LandSAR volunteers were stood down, but received another call about 45 minutes later.

‘‘Now there were two people missing in the Fairy Bay area,’’ Hamill said. ‘‘The father had found his daughter but as they tried to make their way back down the hill in the heavy rain and thick bush they also become disoriented and were unable to find the track.’’

The search team arrived at Fairy Bay about 4am. They followed a steep, sparsely marked route up the hill through thick regenerating bush and just after 5.30am, found the missing pair.

‘‘They were pretty cold but in relatively good spirits,’’ Hamill said.