Lost Brit survived bush ordeal on an apple

An Englishman who survived two freezing nights lost on a mountainside near Punakaiki rationed an apple as his only sustenance, and huddled in his ski jacket for warmth.

Stephen Bennett (28) has been working in Punakaiki during a working holiday in New Zealand.

On Saturday he became lost on Mount Bovis, near Bullock Creek, after venturing on a day walk in the Paparoa Range. Last night - his third out in the open - he was plucked to safety.

Speaking today from Grey Base Hospital, where he was being treated for mild hypothermia and a wrist injury, Mr Bennett said he had fallen down a waterfall, lost his phone and water bottle, and could only watch helplessly as the helicopters searched for him, unable to attract their attention.

Rescuers who spotted him from a helicopter about 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon initially mistook him for part of a nearby search and rescue team.

He said things went wrong during his descent from the mountain. The track was icier than expected and he took a slide. He lost the markers and could not find his way.

"I thought I'd found the route but it was a waterfall," Mr Bennett said.

He tumbled over but only got wet feet. As temperatures plunged below zero he hunkered down for shelter, using ferns for warmth. The next day, he headed back to the tops.

The very first night he saw a helicopter out looking for him and he thought he was in its line of sight.

"I thought it was going to come and get me."

Realising his predicament he started rationing his apple.

"I was just having little chunks of it and not finishing it off as you normally would an apple," he said.

"It did get really cold ... it was distressing."

But he had lost his phone and with it, his only light. The second day, he again failed to draw the attention of the helicopter searchers. Yesterday, he saw it fly past him. "I was really sure it had seen me."

It had, and directed a ground search and rescue member to his location. The next he knew was when he got a tap on the shoulder.

Mr Bennett was hoping to get out of hospital today. He still has four months left in New Zealand. His parents have flown out from England and were due to arrive in New Zealand today.

The NZCC Rescue Helicopter spotted Mr Bennett yesterday as the light was starting to fade.

Crewman Stu Drake said Hokitika searcher Duncan Hamilton and dog Baxter had been successfully tracking him all day.

It was so cold that icicles were hanging off the rocks.

"We flew up the creek and spotted him. We initially thought he was part of the search," Mr Hamilton said.

The helicopter radioed in that they had seen the four-person team - the person replied there should be three people. The fourth turned out to be Mr Bennett.
The ground team was only 150m away at that moment.

Mr Drake captured on video the moment a SAR member taps Mr Bennett on the shoulder and shakes his hand.

The rescue team walked Mr Bennett to a more open area, where he was winched into the helicopter.

Police said two helicopters and 15 ground searchers were involved in the search.

- Greymouth Star