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George Barbaer - Source: ONE News -
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In an amazing story of survival, a man with his deaf daughter and asthmatic son are alive, after spending two nights in rugged bush without the bare essentials.
George Barbaer and his two children set off for a day's pig hunting on Friday, telling family they would be back for dinner.
However after the trio failed to arrive home by Saturday, a full search and rescue effort was launched in the Omahuta Forest, a remote area, south of Kaitaia.
Concerns were rising when bad weather hampered the search effort, with the search teams saying it is amazing, the group managed to survive.
They were only wearing clothing suitable for a day hike and have no food or other supplies.
It was a long wait for worried family.
Search and rescue members from the wider Northland squad, joined by family, began searching at first light on Sunday morning, with 30 members in five teams being taken into the area by an army Unimog.
A search base had been set up at a local marae.
Late Sunday afternoon, the news rushed through the marae, all three had been found alive and not far from their parked car.
Wet, cold and hungry, the children were whisked away into the warmth.
Forty year old Barbaer, told ONE News, that the kids were doing "already, but tired."
Thirteen year old Trinity is deaf, and six year old George junior has asthma.
The trio hunkered down together when it got too dark and cold to make their way home.
The search area was part of the Mangamuka Ranges south of Kaitaia, which is known for its pig hunting, and the type of country where you can fall of the map.
Senior Sergeant Cliff Metcaife says the area is rough, and the group had to battle "absolutely atrocious weather."
This, a true story of survival says Metcaife, who says he has seen his share of unhappy endings.
