Mark and Joanne Bennett thought they were coming from Britain to pick up son Stephen's body after hearing he was lost in the West Coast bush.
But by the time they got here, Stephen was alive, with an incredible story to share, having survived two nights on just one apple.
Stephen is on a 15-month working holiday, and went for a day walk near Punakiki on the weekend.
The 28-year-old fell and was injured and was forced to spend two cold nights in the bush.
His parents flew out from London expecting to retrieve his body.
"Not very good, not very good - horrible sinking feeling - we were thinking we were bringing a body home, and then I thought they may not possibly find a body," says Ms Bennett.
Two helicopters and 15 searchers scoured the Paparoa Mountains near Punakiki. Senior Constable Mike Tinley says another night may have killed him.
"He was very tired and wet and he was very disorientated and didn't know where he was."
News of the rescue came during a stopover in Singapore.
"The best news ever - the worst news when we heard it and the best news when we got the information at Singapore," his parents say.
Stephen survived on a single apple and suffered mild hypothermia. Now his parents want him home.
"If he comes home I am going to pay for driving lessons," says Ms Bennett. "He can have a car, find him somewhere to live - anything to get him to come home."
A family fearing the worst is now reunited and happy, halfway around the world.
Newshub.
