A man, a woman and their child were stranded for seven hours, about eight kilometres south of Lake Buffalo at Dandongadale, after they ventured into unknown terrain on Saturday night.

The Wagga family’s four-wheel-drive rolled while they were driving along the Yararrabula Track about 6.30pm.

Sen-Sgt Doug Incoll, of Bright Police, said the track didn’t appear on most maps because of its dangerous state.

“It was an overgrown, steep and rough track where they rolled the vehicle,” Sen-Sgt Incoll said.

“They were supposed to be headed to King Hut which is way south — the totally wrong direction.”

The family had abandoned the vehicle to find a phone signal and call for help.

Sen-Sgt Incoll said locating the family had been difficult as they didn’t take a large map with them and were relying on electronic maps on a GPS and iPad.

They had waited with food, water and a swag until units from Bright and Myrtleford police were able to locate them at 1.30am on Sunday.

Sen-Sgt Incoll said it was a three-hour trek out of the bushland.

“Police had to walk in on foot because of state of track and an officer had to carry out the three-year-old because the other two were unfit and not well prepared,” Sen-Sgt Incoll said.

“He is lucky that they all weren’t injured and got out of it unscathed. It could have been a lot more disastrous, especially with a child.

“The family was visibly shaken and eventually stayed the night in a hotel.”

Sen-Sgt Incoll said going into unfamiliar areas alone with limited phone signal was “fraught with danger”.

“You’ve got to know the terrain you’re heading into, that your vehicle is capable and you are competent.”

He said police were using the incident as a reminder that trips into forest or high country needed to be well planned.