Three exhausted Canberra men were rescued from a Snowy Mountains peak in the dark on Monday, prompting police to urge hikers to prepare properly for winter treks.
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The men, one aged 36 and two aged 27, got lost after they set out for Mount Morgan in Kosciuszko National Park on Saturday.
ACT Policing received a triple-0 call from the missing group to say they were on the mountain and needed help because of exhaustion shortly before 3.30pm on Monday.
Officers with the NSW alpine police unit drove to 2.15 kilometres from the mountain summit and searched for the men on foot.
They found the trio sheltering in rocks near the summit about 8.45pm and helped them off the mountain.
None of the men had serious injuries. However, all three were exhausted, cold and hungry.
Police said the men were significantly under-prepared and ill-equipped for the conditions and only had a small amount of food and water.
Temperatures in the area dropped as low as minus 7 degrees overnight.
Monaro police Inspector Neil Grey said the men were "extremely lucky to survive".
He urged hikers to make sure they were properly prepared and equipped for treks in the Snowy Mountains during winter.
That included wearing appropriate clothing and footwear, packing enough food and water and registering their trip with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
He also encouraged trekkers to take a GPS device or personal locator beacon so they didn't have to rely on mobile phones, as reception was patchy in some parts of the mountains.
"These three were extremely fortunate to have phone reception," Inspector Grey said.
