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"It was an eventful one" - 38 trapped in Central Otago rescued

Author
Matiu Workman,
Publish Date
Mon, 23 May 2016, 7:40AM

"It was an eventful one" - 38 trapped in Central Otago rescued

Author
Matiu Workman,
Publish Date
Mon, 23 May 2016, 7:40AM

UPDATED 8.37PM "It was an eventful one" is the understated verdict of one of those rescued after an exhausting ordeal trapped in their cars on a Central Otago high country road.

38 people on a four wheel driving excursion became stuck in snow yesterday afternoon.

It took snowcats to get them down to the safety of the Roxburgh Golf Club, where they arrived after 6pm, and were checked over and fed.

"It was an eventful one, in the worst way possible," one of the rescuees, Daniel, told reporters in Roxburgh.

"Very relieved to get out. What we come across was just one of those bad, wrong place wrong times, so yeah."

Daniel said they went up equipped with the right gear but got caught out by the weather.

"There's not much else we could do about that."

SEE ALSO: NZH Focus: Trapped 38 in Central Otago saved

One of the rescuers, Chris Coory from Dunedin Land Search and Rescue, says it was cold and windy where the vehicles were stuck in about a metre and a half of deep snow.

He said the group were dry, as they'd kept the vehicles running.

"Everyone was warm enough. They had enough fuel in the vehicles. They kept the heaters going overnight, which was important. Kept them warm, and dry.

Mr Coory said they were met with gratitude when they arrived.

"I was expecting some of them to be annoyed about leaving their vehicles there, but they were pretty good. Because the vehicles are going to be there for the winter. That's for sure."

He suspects the four wheel drives will be written off. "You can go up there and springtime and see what they're like. They might be alright."

The rescuer wasn't surprised at the change in the weather.

"You often get weather like that up on this hill. It can be pretty bad .. when they went through I don't think they were expecting the weather to be as bad as it was. They thought they'd get right through."

Mr Coory said others who want to head off in four wheel drives in this type of weather should do their research.

"Sub-alpine areas like this, the snow can come in pretty fast. And if it starts to turn then you turn around and get out. Simple really."

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