Group of missing Mt Hutt trampers found 

Rescue teams have located a missing group of 14 students and their instructor who had been missing overnight after they failed to return from a tramp in the Pudding Hill Reserve at the southern end of the Mt Hutt range.

The group were due to return from Scott's Saddle at 7.00pm yesterday, but when they failed to arrive and were not in contact, police activated a search.

Senior Constable Murray Thatcher from Methven police told NZPA the students were seniors, aged between 16 and 18 years old.

He said there had not been too many concerns about their safety.

"Because of the nature of the terrain, we were pretty optimistic we'd locate them once they were up and moving around today," he said.

- NZPA