Trip not planned well: police

The  Southlanders who had to be rescued yesterday morning after getting stuck on the Nevis Rd had not planned their trip very well, police said.

Senior Sergeant Dave Scott, of the Southern District Command Centre, said the group, comprising a 19-year-old female driver and four male passengers, were ''cold but well'' when found by a Central Otago Land Search and Rescue crew at 4.15am.

They were travelling from Cromwell to Invercargill in a two-wheel-drive vehicle, which was unsuitable to use on the high country road, he said.

''The Nevis is a difficult road at the best of times, let alone when the creeks are overflowing with snow melt and there's still lots of snow around,'' he said.

The group had no food and had relied on cellphones for contact, but there was no cellphone reception in the area, Snr Sgt Scott said.

''It certainly indicated a lack of planning.''

But they had carried blankets and a tent in the vehicle and had told someone of their travel plans.

That person had raised the alarm with police at 6.20pm on Sunday, when the group failed to arrive in Invercargill, he said.

''So they did some things right, like staying with the vehicle, carrying blankets and having someone to raise the alarm when they didn't turn up, but they weren't prepared properly for a trip into remote country like the Nevis.

"They shouldn't have set out on such a road in a two-wheel-drive and they should've carried some food. It's best to be prepared in case the weather turns bad and you get caught out.''

The group was taken to Cromwell by their rescuers. No-one required medical treatment, Snr Sgt Scott said.

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