A Belgian tourist who went missing from a Milford Sound track has been found alive, suffering only a minor knee injury during his four-day ordeal. The unprepared Belgian man was separated from his group while crossing Dore Pass on Wednesday and was “extremely lucky” not to have suffered anything worse.
Two search and rescue teams, assisted by a helicopter operator and a local boat charter company, started looking for him on Sunday morning. He was found at Clinton Hut near the Clinton River south of Mt Anau. Sergeant Alun Griffiths said Dore Pass is a challenging route that requires route-finding skills, river crossing, and alpine experience.
The man was taken to Te Anau Medical Centre and treated for a minor knee injury. Police urged other trampers to take basic precautions before heading out, such as notifying others of their intentions, taking an emergency locator beacon, wearing appropriate clothing, and paying attention to weather forecasts.
