A 19-year-old who was missing in Upper Hutt has been found safe, but she has several broken bones.
Maia Johnston was today found injured in the hills around Upper Hutt.
The 19-year-old went missing on Saturday night and was last seen leaving a family home in the suburb of Totara Park about 8.30pm, during heavy rain.
Family members and friends embraced Johnston as she was carried out of the bush by search and rescue, and loaded into an ambulance.
She will be taken to hospital and treated for her broken bones and split lip.
Mum Amy Walsh told RNZ Maia was found by police search and rescue in the dense bushy hills behind Totara Park.
She has a broken leg, some broken ribs, and it seems she may have had a fall - but other than her injuries she was well, and "cracking jokes".
Walsh said she was in disbelief when the police told her her daughter had been found alive.
"I thought she was dead," she said.
Family friend Susan Stevenson said Maia was being helicoptered out, but did not know the nature of her injuries, or how she got to where she was found.
"We were just co-ordinating the next steps because we've been having people come and go and we've got a whiteboard of where everyone is and we're just getting ready to do the next shift change sort of thing," Stevenson said.
"Police came in to let us know that she has been found, and she has been found alive. It was just ecstatic and we were hugging strangers, it was just amazing," Stevenson said.
"She is injured and she was up in Cannon Point, so she must have had a had a little bit of an adventure....she has been injured, but she's OK and she's alive."
Emergency services jumped into action once she was found.
"Helicopters arrived, ambulances arrived. They can't get her out, they need to hoist her out, so they're doing that."
She thanked everyone who helped with the rescue efforts and said the community and rescue teams had been incredible throughout the search efforts.
"We had people from all around the country searching for her and keeping an eye for her. We had people come from all parts of Wellington, all parts of New Zealand, from Hamilton, helping search.
"We had strangers coming to search, we had mums that thought it could have been their kids so they came out here.
"We've not had a time where there hasn't been somebody walking in the door saying: how can I help?
"And we've random people drop food in to keep the searches going, and just the public. The public have just been amazing," Stevenson said.
Police this afternoon confirmed Johnston had been found.
She was located in a remote area and was speaking with rescue staff, police said in a statement.
Their priority was to ensure she saw medical staff as soon as possible so she could be assessed.
Police thanked the Upper Hutt community for the way they rallied around search staff and the family.
Rescue co-ordinatior Penny Clash said it was the best outcome after a mammoth effort to find Maia.
"The Totara Park team, the people, the community have just rallied together and it just shows what an awesome community Totara Park is.
"It's quite a close-knit community and this really showed it."
Employer 'relieved'
Johnston's employer Seed Waikato chief executive Tania Pointon said the charity's staff and board were "so relieved that Maia has been found safe".
"Maia is a beloved and highly valued kaimahi at Seed Waikato. She is a passionate community contributor with a love for community, te aoo Maaori and manaakitanga for others.
"After her outstanding mahi in community running her first ever charity event for Dry July, she gained an internship for six weeks and then accepted a fulltime role at Seed Waikato as Kaiawhina, communications and relationships."
Pointon said Johnston often spoke about and lived by her values of whakapono, whakapapa and mana motuhake.
"She is currently on her reconnection haerenga and plants seeds for others. She always includes her whaanau and friends in any activity we do."
She said Miss Johnston was a role model, leading events, and using her "gift as an incredible speaker and host".
"She has a gift for storytelling and amplifying the voices of our young people. Maia is vibrant, energetic and hard-working.
"We mihi to all of the community members who have been searching for and are so happy she has been found."
