Goat led man to find missing father Brent Harrison after three days lost in the Tararua Range

Brent Harrison entered the Tararua Range north of Levin early Monday morning and was reported missing that evening. He has since been found. Photo / Rosalie Willis

By RNZ

A son says a majestic goat and gut intuition helped him find his dad, who had been missing in the bush north of Wellington for nearly three days.

Brent Harrison, 72, got lost in the Tararua Range on Monday. His son, Luke, found him at dusk on Wednesday.

Inspector Ashley Gurney said Harrison was airlifted to Palmerston North hospital and had been through quite an ordeal.

Luke Harrison said he dropped his dad off for the tramp on his way to work on Monday. Later that day, he received a call from him saying he was lost and confused.

“He didn’t know where he’d been, and this isn’t like my dad - he’s got Parkinsons and stuff. He was very confused, lost, off the track, asking for help.”

Luke Harrison dropped everything to start searching. He spent more than three hours on Monday looking for his dad and called the police.

Over the next few days, more than 50 search-and-rescue personnel, helicopters with thermal equipment and tracking dogs scoured the bush for signs of Brent Harrison.

Luke Harrison said he was calling for his dad as he tramped through rough terrain.

“I instantly [heard] a funny noise come back, straight away, like an answer but from an animal.

“I come round the corner, and I was just, like, face-to face with a really big, majestic-looking goat, with really large horns. It was really beautiful, actually.”

Harrison continued on, but later realised it was a sign.

A helicopter at Levin Showgrounds preparing to transport more members of Horowhenua LandSAR into the Tararua Range as the search for the missing man continues.

“He kept stopping and looking back at me... It wasn’t til later that I thought about it and I was like, ‘That goat, there was something really significant about that’.”

He had to wait for the helicopters and dogs, but once he was allowed back into the bush, he was determined to search where he thought his dad was. “I just had a really strong feeling I was going to find him.”

Harrison said his dad was a local legend in the outdoor community: he’d owned the outdoor store Mainly Tramping for 23 years, organised the Tararua Mountain Race, had run 27 marathons, sea-kayaked in Alaska, hiked in South America and completed the Southern Traverse.

“I know my dad and he’s a trooper, he’s a bloody machine, even in the state he’s in now - 72 and he’s had Parkinson’s for around 10 years.”

Brent Harrison was shocked that it was his son, and nephew Ben, who found him.

Luke Harrison said he was unable to stand, dehydrated, and confused after days without his medications.

But he is convinced his dad will make a full recovery and return to tramping.

“But I’ll be going with him this time.”