Police are calling for better communication from people after tourists, who reported themselves lost then found their way out of their predicament, chose to not tell anyone about it.
Sergeant Tony Woodbridge, of Oamaru, said a police communications centre was called by the American group about 3pm yesterday on an overseas cellphone.
They said they had become lost on a track stuck in mud in the Waitaki Plains area and were in need of assistance, Sgt Woodbridge said.
Police were out searching for the group for about 90 minutes when the search was called off after a centre staff member was able to reconnect with the original caller.
Usually police can use cellphone towers to get coordinates on cell phones, but the build of this phone made it difficult to get a fix on the location, he said.
By the time the centre staff member had contact with the tourists they were "long-gone'' from the scene.
People should contact police if they find their way to safety on their own, he said, so searches can be called off.
