Shelley Crooks' 'remarkable story of survival'
Shelley Crooks went missing before Christmas, and was found by a member of the public on Sunday.
Shelley Crooks used her extensive bush craft knowledge to survive six weeks in the bush with a leg injury.
The mother-of-four had last been seen near Westport on December 22.
The 36-year-old woman had told a friend she was hitchhiking to Opotiki in the Bay of Plenty, where she was originally from.
The 36-year-old was found on Sunday night on a track near Punakaiki, on the West Coast.
She had not been heard from since – until Sunday night, when a member of the public recognised Crooks on a track in Punakaiki on the West Coast and called emergency services about 7pm.
READ MORE: Police searching for missing woman Shelley Crooks seek driver of white car
Greymouth police Sergeant Michel Bloom said Crooks was in hospital receiving medical treatment, but was doing well.
"This is a remarkable story of survival."
Crooks had set out to do a four-day walk in the Mt Bovis area when she became disorientated and sustained a leg injury.
"She was well-equipped and has extensive bush craft knowledge, enabling her to survive for six weeks as she attempted to slowly make her way out of the bush."
Bloom said Crooks was found by a member of the public near one of the walking tracks.
She was then picked up by the West Coast Rescue Helicopter and flown to Grey Base Hospital in Greymouth.
"[Crooks] wants to express her gratitude to the tramper who found her, and everyone involved in the search and rescue efforts to try and locate her," Blooms aid.
In January, Shelley Crooks' father John Crooks, from Opotiki, said his daughter enjoyed tramping and hunting and was capable of living without electricity.
"We've always been outdoor people ourselves, hunting, fishing, Shelley is a competent food gatherer, diver and she has lived without power as well so she does have that skill level," he said at the time.
Police thanked everyone who helped in their efforts to find Crooks over the last six weeks.
"We are ecstatic this had had a positive outcome."
Speaking from his Opotiki home earlier on Monday, Crooks' father John said the family were leaving for the West Coast.
"We are in a really good space at the moment; we are really grateful for everything really.
"At this stage we don't know anything more than we knew last time apart from she's been found and we are just all grateful for it."
The last six weeks had been "terrible".
"Just getting sightings everywhere sort of put us off the track of where she was."
Crooks has four children – 5-year-old twins, an 11-year-old and a 12-year-old. The children live with other family members.
- Stuff
