Hiker lost at Thredbo found ‘cold but unharmed’ after night in freezing temperatures

A hiker who disappeared while hiking in the NSW Snowy Mountains has incredibly survived a night in freezing, snowy temperatures with blustering wind.

A hiker has been miraculously found after spending a night lost in freezing conditions near Thredbo. Picture: Supplied

A hiker has miraculously been found unharmed, though cold, after spending the night lost in freezing conditions near Thredbo.

Bing Wei, 61, had been hiking to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko on Saturday, and was last known to have been in the Thredbo area about 5.30pm that day.

He was reported missing, and police located his white sedan in the Cascades car park on Alpine Way, about seven kilometres west of Thredbo, sparking a large-scale search about 10.30pm.

There were serious concerns for Mr Wei as temperatures plummeted and snow and wind made it hard to see.

Bing Wei was found “cold but unharmed” more than 15 hours after he vanished in freezing conditions. Picture: Supplied

Despite the “extremely challenging conditions”, police and SES volunteers trained in alpine operations searched on foot throughout the night for him.

The temperature overnight at Thredbo was minus eight degrees, with wind blowing at up to 63 km/h.

Shortly before 9am on Sunday, a member of the public found the man on The Alpine Way at Thredbo.
He was brought to Jindabyne and assessed by paramedics where incredibly, he was found to be “cold but otherwise unharmed”.