A long night of worry turned into joy for a Motu family and the community, 47km south east of Opotiki, today when a lost teenage hunter walked out of the bush.
Antonio Barbarich-Waikari, 17, did all the right things to survive after becoming separated, then disorientated, while pig hunting with his cousins and his dad, Joe Waikari, last night.
He spent the night curled up under a log with his dog Mindy, woke to the sound of his father and mother calling for him this morning and started to walk out.
"Dad was the first person I saw. He gave me a big hug," Antonio said.
"I was hunting and following my dog. She had a pig bailed up but then it started getting dark and I decided to head out.''
