Friends Jess O'Connor and Dion Reynolds have had their first warm night at home since being lost in rugged bush for 19 days. "We are all eternally grateful to LandSAR [search and rescue] and all other organisations involved in the search," Jess' brother Dominic O'Connor wrote online. Many of those donating left messages praising the efforts of those involved, with some people calling them "absolute legends!" Despite both suffering injuries, they survived freezing temperatures, and rescuers credited the pair's "excellent equipment" for keeping them alive. While the O'Connors spent "many sleepless nights" worrying about the missing pair, Simone said she never doubted they would be found alive.

Source: Otago Daily Times May 27, 2020 20:03 UTC