Missing Tramper Found Alive After 19 Days in NZ Wilderness

When contractors arrived at a remote mountain hut to install predator control signs, they found something unexpected: a missing tramper who'd been gone for 19 days.

Graham Garnett, 66, went hiking in New Zealand's Kahurangi National Park on December 30 and never returned home. Search and rescue teams launched extensive efforts to find him, scouring the rugged Baton/Ellis River area with helicopters and ground crews.

After days of searching without success, authorities called off the official search last Thursday. For Garnett's family, the news must have been devastating.

But luck had other plans. On Sunday afternoon, helicopter pilots from Heliventures NZ and a West Coast Regional Council staff member landed at Venus Hut to prepare for predator control work.

Inside the shelter, they found Garnett alive. He'd been surviving in the wilderness for nearly three weeks.

Why This Inspires

This rescue reminds us that miracles happen in the most unexpected ways. The contractors weren't searching for Garnett when they found him. They were simply doing routine conservation work at a hut that happened to be his refuge.

"We were in the right place at the right time," said Nicki McMillan, CEO of Heliventures NZ. Her team's lucky timing transformed what could have been a tragedy into a celebration.

Sergeant Jonny Evans captured everyone's relief perfectly: "This is an amazing result. We are so pleased for Graham and his loved ones."

Garnett was taken to Nelson Hospital and reunited with his family. While he'd obviously endured quite an ordeal, he survived conditions that test even experienced hikers.

The rescue also sparked a reminder from outdoor adventurer Jezza Williams about supporting people who face challenges in the wilderness. Everyone's experience is different, and judgment from afar helps no one.

Sometimes the difference between tragedy and triumph is nothing more than being somewhere at exactly the right moment.