Trapped trampers found and airlifted to safety

A helicopter has airlifted nine trampers to safety after they were trapped by bad weather in Mount Aspiring National park.

One party of six trampers, believed to be from the North Island, set off an emergency locator beacon in the upper reaches of the Dart River last night.

Bad weather and poor visibility prevented a helicopter getting to them last night, but a helicopter reached them this morning.

A Queenstown police spokeswoman said the six had been joined by three other trampers, and it was decided to fly all nine out.

Rivers were high in the area and more bad weather was forecast.

She was unable to give any more details of who was in the tramping parties, other than that they were cold and wet, but otherwise well.

Queenstown police still have concerns for another tramper, understood to be Dutchman Philip De Lange, 43, who had not been heard of since setting out to walk the Rees-Dart Track a week ago.

In Fiordland National Park more yesterday than 170 trampers were transported by helicopter across flood-prone parts of the Milford Track after river levels rose 3.8m during a deluge of rain.

Conservation Department Fiordland tracks ranger Ken Bradley said the Arthur River had risen 3.8m above normal by mid-afternoon, forcing DOC to call in three helicopters to airlift stranded guided and freedom trampers across the most flood-prone sections of the track.

Almost 90 independent and guided walkers had been flown from Big Slip to Pompalona Hut in the Clinton Valley, while on the Arthur side of the valley about 40 independent trampers had been airlifted from Boatshed to Milford and about 45 guided walkers from Clinton Hut to Milford.

- NZPA