Three hunters snowed in at a hut near Lake Onslow, at Millers Flat, were "hugely relieved" to be rescued by helicopter yesterday afternoon.
Sergeant Derek Ealson, of Alexandra, said police were alerted by the Southland men's families who held fears for their safety as the men were overdue from the hunting trip. They went into the area on Wednesday.
A search and rescue operation was launched yesterday, involving police and land search and rescue volunteers as well as the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter.
Sgt Ealson said deep snow prevented road access to Lake Onslow and bad weather cut short the first aerial search.
"After a couple of hours there was a break in the weather, and the helicopter was able to get into Lake Onslow, flying up a gully on the Millers Flat side, and locate the men, who had holed up at a hut on a property there. They were fit and well and hugely relieved to see their rescuers."
The men had considered trying to walk out of the area, but the area was covered in metre-high snow, Sgt Ealson said.
There was no cellphone coverage in the area and the men had been "caught out" by the intensity of the snowstorm.
