A group of Tauranga Intermediate students missing in the lower Kaimais have been found safe and well.
The group of 10 girls were on a school camp at Ngamuwahine Lodge when they failed to return from an orienteering exercise on Tuesday afternoon.
Two helicopters, Search & Rescue teams and police searched the bush looking for the party of children aged 11 and 12-years-old in the lower Kaimais.
Students on camp at Ngamuwahine Lodge leave Ngamuwahine Lodge by bus. See video below.
The children were located by ground Search and Rescue crew at about 8pm.
Police say the children were walked out of the bush by search team members and arrived back at the lodge at about 10.40pm.
The Year 7 children from Tauranga Intermediate arrived at the lodge on Monday as part of an annual school camp.
The children are believed to be from three classes from Matai House at the intermediate.
Children at the lodge say they searched for the missing party on Tuesday afternoon after they failed to return.
Police were informed later in the afternoon, and a Search and Rescue operation got underway in the evening.
The TrustPower TECT Rescue Helicopter and the Auckland based Eagle helicopter were called in to aid in the search.
19 comments
Good lesson
Posted on 29-05-2012 17:57 | By pomfart
Kids should have more lessons like this. No need to overreact, they'll find their way home when they're hungry.
Posted on 29-05-2012 17:59 | By whatsinaname
Hope the kids are ok. Yes it gets cold and misserable up there at night. I jsut hope they use common sense and stay where they are. Thoughts to the families of these children.
Should have my glasses on.
Posted on 29-05-2012 18:49 | By Hannahbell
I was reading Term 3's Timetable. It is a brilliant camp and Im sure everything will turn out ok. Thinking of everyone involved and hope they are warm very soon.
Sad News
Posted on 29-05-2012 18:57 | By karmani
This is Tauranga intermediate because that is the bilingual house named Matai in the last picture it is two teachers from tis Maatua Jack and Whaea Janen
Some people have no heart or brains
Posted on 29-05-2012 19:34 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
pomfart - you are an idiot... do you know what the terrain is like up there... for gods sake if you havent got anything positive to say... SHUT THE F*** UP... Thinking about all of the families involved
Posted on 29-05-2012 19:57 | By andrea
Oh what an awful stress this must be for the families. And for the teachers too. So thinking about you all.
Good Lesson!?
Posted on 29-05-2012 20:00 | By annieblackberry
I am sorry Pomfart, but I'm sure they would have been hungry at lunchtime when they were meant to have come back! It is never a good lesson to have 10 children out there in 4 degree weather overnight. And is it still a good lesson if some of them don't make it back? I have been on the camp many moons ago and there is the whole of the Kaimai ranges to get lost in, not as easy as finding your way back!
Pomfart GO GET A LIFE
Posted on 29-05-2012 20:20 | By gazzaj
Where do you get off with stupid & pathetic comments like what you are saying. You obviously have NO life, or NO CHILDREN..., so why dont you go & get one, you insentitive pig......!!!
HANG OUT AT A POND
Posted on 29-05-2012 21:03 | By CRUMPY
Adults present is fine and helpful but if it was a couple of teachers then the effective age of maturity over the whole group would be the same with or without them. That would not help the chances of getting out.
Questions
Posted on 29-05-2012 21:32 | By penguin
Speaking from a position of knowledge through many years in search and rescue in mountain bush environments and with many school camps, some serious questions need to be asked. 1. If the kids were sent out orienteering, who was in charge and what experience did they (those in charge) have? 2. If the exercise was orienteering, then the 'course” would have been marked and able to be followed backwards to the start once it was established that they were 'lost.” 3. Given that this is basically winter time, how equipped were the kids, even if the exercise was only to be for the morning? 4. Was there an experienced adult with the orienteering group? 5. How much 'bush” experience do the kids have? Had they been taught about basic survival? NZ bush can never be taken for granted - even a short distance from camp can throw up problems given certain circumstances. 6. It all sounds rather 'loose” to me.
@pomfart
Posted on 29-05-2012 22:22 | By nerak
Not for the first time you have posted distastefully. How about engaging your brain, if it exists, before posting a comment? Engage: verb 1. to secure the services of; employ 2. to secure for use; 3. to involve (a person or his attention) intensely; engross; occupy 4. to bring (a mechanism) into operation: he engaged the clutch 5. ( also intr ) to undergo or cause to undergo interlocking, as of the components of a driving mechanism, such as a gear train (or brain) 6. machinery to locate (a locking device) in its operative position or to advance (a tool) into a workpiece
Serious Questions need to be asked
Posted on 30-05-2012 12:18 | By The Sage
This could have been a tragedy. Were there adults with the children and, if so, what expertise did they have in the bush. If it was just a couple of Teachers with no formal bush training then some serious questions need to be asked of the school. Also the school should be made to pay for the search and rescue teams time and helicopters.If I were a parent of one of these children I would be demanding answers.
thanks
Posted on 30-05-2012 18:00 | By pomfart
for all the helpful advice which I've taken onboard. sorry it took so long to get back but I've been busy getting a life. hope it's not as dull as all yours.
POMFART
Posted on 30-05-2012 19:59 | By YOGI
Seems like your search for a life has resulted in a return here, well done mate you found your way back a little better effort than the kids eh!, Must have got a sniff of some Kia ah and could not resist. Te-Nah-koe
LEARN ENGLISH
Posted on 04-06-2012 17:22 | By TERMITE
That would have help some, even a compass, a bit of bus craft and a biy scout would not have gone astray so easily.
NOT A GOOD LOOK
Posted on 07-06-2012 23:26 | By Crash test dummies
Now they are writing reports on it all, guess that codifies the thoughts and spin for a week or three. Have a read and all is sweet again.
GPS
Posted on 20-06-2012 14:07 | By TERMITE
Oh sorry that is in English to, no help there.
MAP IT
Posted on 25-06-2012 10:20 | By PLONKER
Guess that is in English to? Anyway where is the report from the school on this? about time that went up online.
.
Posted on 27-06-2012 11:35 | By PinkiePiie
To make things worse I know many of thoes children who were lost and it makes me so angry that there was not supervisor with them, if my little sister was there i'd really give that school a good belting! in a way it is neglect and its not Matua jack or whaea janen's fault they're amazing teachers, my faveroite it's the schools fault all together.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.