Three young men were rescued from the Hutt River gorge in Kaitoke Regional Park after a faint patch of cellphone reception allowed them to call for help on Monday evening.

Police Search and Rescue coordinator Sergeant Jonathan Westrupp said the group set off late in the day to float the river on inner tubes, wearing only light clothing. As darkness closed in, the trio became trapped between impassable cliffs and worsening weather.

They managed to place a call for assistance about 7.30pm. Police coordinated a search and rescue response, dispatching a New Zealand Defence Force NH90 helicopter, which was unable to reach them due to low cloud and rain.

Land Search and Rescue and Police teams reached the men on foot at about 3am, providing shelter, clothing and food. With the help of Wellington Rafting at first light, the group was brought out of the gorge.

“They were on the verge of not being able to contact anyone,” Sergeant Westrupp said. “If they hadn’t managed to find a scrap of cell phone coverage in the gorge it could have been a very different Christmas for them and their families.”

Westrupp urged anyone heading into the bush or onto rivers to plan properly and carry a personal locator beacon. “PLBs are cheap to hire, and they’re capable of saving your life, even when there’s no cell phone reception.”