'Lost' paragliders rescued

File photo / Bay of Plenty Times

Two Australian paragliders were plucked to safety last night after finding themselves stuck on a mountain ridge near Queenstown in deteriorating weather conditions.

The tourists called emergency services on a cellphone at 7pm reporting they were lost on an unidentified mountain and required the assistance of a helicopter, The Otago Daily Times reported.

The men had no GPS unit or flares, so a rescue effort was co-ordinated through Queenstown police.

Heliworks Queenstown Helicopters Ltd managing director and pilot Dave Kershaw located the men on the ridge line of the northern face of Mt Soho at an altitude of 1200m at 8pm.

Shortly after collecting the men, the helicopter picked up another man from the paragliding company who was climbing the mountain looking for the pair.

Soon after, the helicopter pilot spotted another two men - also from the same company - climbing the mountain looking for the same pair, and stopped to pick them up before returning to Queenstown in the dark.

Mr Kershaw said the paragliders were ill-equipped for a cold night on the mountain.

- NZPA