US Student Hikers Survive 9 Days in New Zealand Wilderness

US Student Hikers Survive 9 Days in New Zealand Wilderness

Two U.S. students stranded in the New Zealand wilderness by a snowstorm hiked back out to safety after surviving their nine-day ordeal by rationing their meager supplies of food and warming themselves in hot springs.

Alec Brown and Erica Klintworth, both 21, returned to the city of Christchurch on Monday after meeting up with members of a search team – famished but otherwise in good shape, police said.

The two students, who are on a foreign study program in New Zealand with University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, had planned to camp for a few days at some hot springs on the country's South Island.  But a snowstorm and heavy rainstorm during the Southern Hemisphere winter prevented the couple from being able to cross a river and return.

Brown said the nights were tough and the rain and sleet pounded down on the tarpaulin covering their sleeping hammock and the river roared, highlighting their predicament.

Brown's mother Lisa, of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, said she panicked when she first found out her son was missing.

She had faith, though, that Alec, an environmental science major, knew the outdoors well enough to survive, she said, adding that Erica, who is studying graphic design, is a strong woman.

The couple's ordeal began June 1 when friend Katie Jenkins, another UW student, dropped them off at a national park on the South Island's West Coast so they could hike in and camp for a few days.

Brown said that soaking in the hot pools helped them kept warm and slow down energy loss. It wasn't until Sunday, Brown said, that the river finally seemed safe enough to cross again.

Police said the pair made some good choices, particularly by not trying to cross the flooded river.  Brown said he relied on his past experience of hiking and camping and felt confident in their ability to survive.

Posted by James Fried on Wednesday June 13 2012, 5:40 AM EDT. Ref: Reuters. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0