KEY POINTS:
A missing Department of Conservation worker walked into a farmhouse near the Central Otago village of Macraes this morning, just as search teams were heading out to look for him again.
Fears had been mounting for the worker lost in the Macraes mine area, near Middlemarch, yesterday.
The 18-year-old man was setting traps with another DOC worker before the pair split up about 1.30pm yesterday.
He was expected to have completed his work within two hours but did not return to base as planned, prompting a search to be mounted.
Senior Sergeant Craig Brown said the man knocked on the farmhouse door about 7.30am, after spending the night in an abandoned old property in the area.
He was reported to be in good shape and did not need medical attention, Mr Brown said.
- NZPA
