Gran, 90, found waist-deep in mud after 2 days

Advance paramedic Mark Going, second left, attends to 90-year-old June Wickman after she was found by searchers. Photo / APN

A 90-year-old grandmother found in a swamp after being missing for two days was happy and embarrassed that so many people had been looking for her.

Northland woman June Wickman was found waist-deep in mud after going missing on Tuesday.

She had left her Maunu home, in Whangarei, for a walk to a local bird sanctuary.

When she did not return home, a large-scale search started.

Brett Wickman, one of Mrs Wickman's five sons, said it was an emotional moment on Thursday afternoon when grandson Shane called out that he had found their mother.

"Realistically, an old person out by herself for two days with no food or water and in rain and hot weather ... we were hoping on hope to find her [alive]," he told the Weekend Herald yesterday.

"There were a couple of tears and there was a bit of hugging and kissing and crying going on.

"There had been a lot of tension beforehand, but when we found Mum, it was just so emotional."

Dozens of family members and some search and rescue volunteers continued looking for Mrs Wickman after the official search was called off.

Mr Wickman said his mother was "just so happy" to see everyone, but was almost mortified to find out that a an official search had been organised for her.

"She's ashamed of herself and embarrassed that she's put so many people out. She was just really humbled by that."

Shane said he spotted his grandmother's head amid bulrushes in the swamp, where she was stuck up to her waist in mud.

She had hurt her back and was a little sunburned and dehydrated, but was in an amazingly good state of health.

She had even managed to hang on to her purse.

He said his grandmother was "a pretty tough cookie" with a good sense of humour, which wasn't blunted by her ordeal.

"As we were carrying her out on a stretcher, she said we were all hired to be her pallbearers, but just not today.

"She's pretty tough all right. I think her actions probably speak for themselves - to be alive for that amount of time. I don't think I could survive that amount of time out there."

Brett Wickman said his mother was unsure how she had come to be stuck in the middle of the swamp.

The family had enjoyed a few celebratory drinks after the rescue and were now keen on making sure she was well.

Mrs Wickman is recovering in Whangarei Hospital and is likely to be discharged within a few days.

- additional reporting NZPA