Two climbers survive three nights

Two climbers were rescued alive near Sabre Peak in Fiordland National Park on Friday, April 10, after spending three nights stranded on a steep mountainside. (police.govt.nz) New Zealand Police said a Personal Locator Beacon was activated about 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, and a Southern Lakes Helicopter was dispatched. Heavy rain and low cloud stopped that first rescue attempt. (police.govt.nz) On Thursday morning, police were contacted by the brother of one climber, who had received Emergency SOS satellite text messages. Police said the messages confirmed both climbers were experienced, uninjured, and unable to move because of the weather. (police.govt.nz) A second rescue attempt on Thursday also failed in the same conditions. At about 7 a.m. on Friday, the helicopter crew located the pair and carried out a 100-foot long-line extraction from the mountainside. (police.govt.nz) Police said the climbers survived by sheltering in a two-person bivvy and sleeping bags, even after the gear became saturated in prolonged severe weather. By the time they were lifted out, they had run out of food and believed they would not have survived another night. (police.govt.nz) The rescue turned on two pieces of emergency technology that work far from cell service: a Personal Locator Beacon, which sends a distress signal with location data, and satellite texting, which lets phones send messages through satellites instead of ground towers. Police said those signals let rescuers keep contact and wait for a safe weather window. (police.govt.nz) Fiordland is one of New Zealand’s most remote alpine areas, with rugged granite peaks, deep valleys, and fast-changing weather. The Department of Conservation describes the park as a vast wilderness, and MetService’s mountain forecast for April 11 showed rain and gale to severe gale winds across the park. (doc.govt.nz) (metservice.com) Police said the climbers “made the right decision” by activating the beacon early and staying put once conditions deteriorated. Both were checked by a doctor on the helicopter and taken to Te Anau for further medical assessment. (police.govt.nz) The same area has seen fatal climbing accidents before: in December 2025, two climbers died on Sabre Peak’s north buttress during a separate Fiordland incident. Friday’s rescue ended differently because the pair could signal their position, maintain contact, and wait until crews could fly in. (police.govt.nz 1) (police.govt.nz 2)