Lost 62-year-old female tourist found after spending night in Katherine Gorge bushland

A 62-year-old female tourist has been found after spending about eight hours lost in Katherine Gorge area bushland overnight.

A 62-YEAR-OLD woman has been found after spending about eight hours lost in Katherine Gorge area bushland overnight.

Acting Senior Sergeant Ian Davie said police first received a call from the South Australian tourist at about 8pm on Sunday night.

“She went for a bit of a stroll around the walking tracks in Katherine Gorge and left about 1pm on Sunday and got a bit lost and disorientated,” Mr Davies said.

“Thankfully she had a mobile phone with her and a bit of water.”

Police and Katherine Gorge rangers located the woman about 400m from Lily Ponds on a walking track around 2am Monday.

“She said she was near a green marker which indicated that she was on a specific track so the police and rangers knew which general area to go through, so off they went,” he said.

“It’s just as well she had a supply of water and a mobile phone with her otherwise things might have ended a little differently.

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“She had been there for at least six hours in the dark by herself. Luckily she was an experienced walker.”

The rescue team and the woman walked 4.5km together back to Butterfly Gorge and drove her to the Katherine Hospital for medical assessment.

“She was fine,” Sen Sgt Davie said.

He urged anyone who decides to go bushwalking to make sure they were prepared.

“Make sure you tell someone where you’re going, take a mobile phone, bring plenty of water, wear appropriate clothing and bring a personal EPIRB if you can,” he said.