Two groups of runners who got caught in bad weather near Arthur's Pass have been rescued by a helicopter.
A Search and Rescue Operation was launched about midday on Friday to rescue four women who were training for the Coast to Coast event in February.
The party was forced to stop at the Goat Pass Hut after one of the group became hypothermic. She was later treated for mild hypothermia.
Shortly afterwards, the Rescue Coordination Centre received another call from the Deception River area, only a few kilometres northwest of the Goat Pass Hut.
This group was also using the same section of the Coast to Coast course as a training run and were also caught in the bad weather.
Creeks in the area rose rapidly, trapping them between two tributaries.
