Bid to find good Samaritans

Murray and Gillian Archer want to find their rescuers who helped them to safety when they struck trouble on a Coromandel walking track.

As 79-year-old Murray Archer sat on the side of a remote track hypothermic and exhausted, his wife Gillian knew he would not survive a night in the Coromandel wilderness.

Mrs Archer considered calling emergency services but there was no cellphone reception.

She prayed for help which eventually came in the form of three Chinese good Samaritans who stumbled across the Northland couple.

When they made it back to their car hours later they thanked their rescuers but now regret not getting their contact details.

The Archers now want to track down their helpers and shout them a weekend at their One Tree Point bed and breakfast as a thank you gift.

They believed the man's name was something like Charles Quin and his wife Minna. The couple were from China but had lived in Auckland for eight months. Minna was studying to be a chef while Charles was a teacher in China.

The Archers told how they got into difficulties on their walk. "In hindsight we should have turned back but we kept thinking it must be close to the end," Mrs Archer said.

About three hours into the walk in the Kaueranga Valley at the start of their holiday last month Mrs Archer, 67, realised they were in trouble.

They had planned to take a different walk but changed their minds after talking to a Department of Conservation worker.

They were expecting the trip to take between two and four hours - it took them nine.

"We're not trampers normally but we're reasonably fit," Mrs Archer said.

The track was difficult to navigate, muddy from recent rain and had a very steep downhill section.

Mr Archer said at one point his legs were so sore he could not move them.

Said Mrs Archer: "If my husband had had to stay overnight then I don't think he would have survived."

They had set out about 10am but were sitting on the side of the track at about 3.30pm when a Chinese couple and their friend found them.

"It was like a miracle," Mr Archer said.

While Mr Archer was concerned about slowing down the trio, they were determined to help the struggling couple. The man told Mr Archer: "No, I can see you are in trouble."

The man helped prop up Mr Archer during the steep descent while the trio helped them navigate a damaged bridge.

At about 7pm the group eventually returned to the carpark "shattered".