Two Climbers Rescued After 3 Nights on Fiordland Peak

After three nights stranded on a steep Fiordland mountainside with soaked gear and no food left, two climbers thought they wouldn't make it through another night. Then a Southern Lakes Helicopter crew appeared through the storm at 7am Friday, pulling them to safety with a 100-foot long line.

The experienced pair had been trapped near Sabre Peak in Fiordland National Park since Wednesday afternoon, when deteriorating weather pinned them down. They sheltered in a two-person bivvy with sleeping bags that became saturated during the prolonged exposure to severe conditions.

When they activated their Personal Locator Beacon at 4:30pm Wednesday, rescuers responded immediately but couldn't reach them. Heavy rain and low cloud forced crews to turn back twice, on Wednesday evening and again Thursday.

Throughout the ordeal, police maintained contact with the climbers via satellite messaging. The brother of one climber received Emergency SOS texts confirming they were uninjured but stuck, giving families hope while rescue teams waited for a safe weather window.

The Bright Side

This rescue highlights how preparation transforms emergencies. The climbers made smart decisions at every turn, activating their beacon early and staying put when conditions worsened rather than attempting a dangerous descent.

Their quality equipment and clear satellite communication allowed rescuers to make informed decisions while waiting for safe flying conditions. That patience, combined with the helicopter crew's skill in "extreme and unforgiving" terrain, brought everyone home safely.

Southland Search and Rescue Coordinator Sergeant Dougall Henderson called their survival remarkable and praised both the climbers' preparation and the rescue crew's outstanding effort. A doctor aboard the helicopter checked them immediately before transport to Te Anau for further medical assessment.

The rescue serves as a powerful reminder that even the best equipment can't control mountain weather, but it can buy crucial time. Henderson encourages anyone heading into remote areas to plan conservatively, monitor forecasts closely, and carry emergency devices like PLBs or satellite communicators.

Two people walked off that mountain Friday morning because they prepared for the worst and a skilled rescue team refused to give up on them.