Yesterday afternoon Taupo's Greenlea Rescue helicopter was alerted by the Rescue coordination centre to a emergency locating beacon that had been set off near lake Waikaremoana.

From the initial GPS position provided by the beacon the helicopter crew were able to use direction finding equipment to locate the missing trampers in extremely dense bush about a kilometer away from the fix.

A paramedic was hoisted down to the trampers and was quickly able to establish that they were uninjured but had been lost since the previous day.

A man and four youths in the party were all hoisted into the helicopter and dropped at the Marauiti hut.

The group who were on a multiple day hike were originally due out on Sunday.

ENDS