A man who had been missing on the Kapiti Coast since Saturday was found after his dog led rescuers to him.
The man and his dog, called Robey, were last seen on Kaitawa Rd in Ōtaki Forks at about 7am on Saturday.
Over three days of searching, police received several reports of a dog barking in the Ōtaki Gorge area.
“On Monday afternoon, Search and Rescue located Robey, by calling out to him after hearing more barking,” police said.
“The search team were then able to follow Robey’s footprints to locate the missing man a short distance away.”
The man was taken by helicopter to Wellington Hospital to be assessed.
Sergeant Marcus Fellerhoff said it was “unlikely” the man would have been found without his dog.
“Robey deserves a lot of credit in the locating and safe return of his owner. After he was found he was given some food and water and walked out of the bush with his rescuers.
“The family have passed on their gratitude and praise for the efforts of Search and Rescue, police and other members of the public who assisted with the search.”
