Hikers winched to safety after spending night stranded in GC hinterland

Two female hikers are lucky to be alive after enduring a terrifying night stranded in the Gold Coast hinterland.

The women raised the alarm around 6.30pm on Thursday after losing their way while trekking through bushland at Mount Cougal in Currumbin Valley.

A rescue helicopter was deployed to the location just before 10pm to extract the pair, but conditions prevented a secure evacuation in the dark.

Because the hikers were not in an immediate life-threatening situation, authorities advised the pair to hunker down and shelter in place for the night.

First responders then returned to the area at first light, deploying the rescue chopper back to Mount Cougal around 5.30am where they successfully winched the women to safety.