{"id":542432,"date":"2026-07-24T19:27:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T19:27:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/542432\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T19:27:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T19:27:24","slug":"farmer-answers-police-call-to-rescue-elderly-fisherman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/542432\/","title":{"rendered":"Farmer answers police call to rescue elderly fisherman"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rescuers had grave concerns for an elderly fisherman stranded on a cold night near a South Island river, until they called\u00a0in a farmer with local knowledge who found the man in the dark.<\/p>\n

The lost man rang emergency services for help about 8.15pm on Thursday, after becoming disoriented following a fishing trip near Lake Tekapo, at the Cass River mouth, police said on Friday.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Search and Rescue teams\u00a0swung into action\u00a0and police said they \u201cremained on the phone with the 87-year-old, encouraging him to keep himself moving to stay warm, and provided reassurance while efforts were under way to locate him\u201d.<\/p>\n

However,\u00a0police were worried the response would not reach the man and his dog in time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile [he] was dressed warmly, police were concerned he was not equipped to spend the night outdoors in the cold conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, looking for a faster way to get help to him, police made a call to a nearby farm manager, Grant Murray, who knows the area well.<\/p>\n

Mr Murray agreed to help,\u00a0and \u201cafter 35 minutes on the phone\u00a0the fisherman was successfully located by Mr Murray\u201d.<\/p>\n

The elderly man and his dog were taken home to warm up and rest.<\/p>\n

The rescue showed the value of local knowledge\u00a0and strong community relationships, police said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCanterbury police would like to thank everyone who was involved in the search \u2026\u00a0 especially \u2026\u00a0Mr Murray, whose local knowledge proved invaluable in helping bring the search to a successful conclusion.\u2019\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

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