A lost hiker has been rescued after spending a freezing, rain-soaked night in mountainous terrain.
The 38-year-old woman got lost while walking near Valley Road in Katoomba, west of Sydney, on Friday and was reported missing about 11.30am.
This sparked a frantic search in the Blue Mountains involving 15 members of the NSW State Emergency Services (SES) and NSW Police, who located the woman at around 10.30am on Saturday.
Miraculously, she was found unharmed.
A lost hiker has been rescued after spending a freezing, rain-soaked night in the Blue Mountains (pictured, SES volunteers)
NSW SES Bush search and rescue unit deputy commander Caro Ryan said it was a good outcome for everyone involved.
“We located her in bushland near Katoomba and helped her warm up because she had been out in the cold and rain overnight,” Ms Ryan said.
“One of our NSW SES volunteers is also a paramedic and was able to assess the woman but she was uninjured and was able to walk out with us.”
Overnight temperatures around Katoomba dropped to 9°C, and wind and rain only added to the difficult conditions.
The 38-year-old woman endured a cold, wet night outdoors before being found around 10.30am on Saturday (pictured, SES volunteers)
The area also recorded around 10mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on Saturday.
It comes as New South Wales is inundated with widespread falls.
Areas on the state’s south coast and the Illawarra region received up to 200mm of rain.
The Bureau of Meteorology also warned that possible storms could hit the state’s northeast and possibly Sydney on Sunday afternoon.
Conditions are expected to improve starting Monday, with less precipitation and no thunderstorms in the forecast.
