A New Zealand man is safe and sound thanks to his dog after being missing overnight. Â Geoffrey Hanson, 80, was found by search and rescue staff in a state of hypothermia this morning after spending a cold night outside. Â Fortunately he had his faithful dog Rusty to cuddle with for warmth and safety which helped keep him alive.
Hanson was reported  missing last night after he failed to return from a dog walk in the sand dunes near his home.  New Zealand Search and Rescue teams found the pair huddled together this morning and took Hanson straight to hospital for for treatment of hypothermia.  About 80 people had been involved in the search which began around 4:30 pm yesterday afternoon. The search was halted around 2 am as temperatures dipped close to freezing, but began again this morning.
“Everyone involved in the search was relieved to find the man with his dog,” says District SAR coordinator Sergeant Bill Nicholson. “We believe that he may have wandered off his normal walking track and become disorientated.”
