Emergency workers have rescued a heavily intoxicated man who got lost while walking to his accommodation on Mount Hotham.
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The 26-year-old had been at Dinner Plain when he walked into bushes and became disoriented on Thursday night.
He called Triple-0 about 7.40pm, with police, firefighters, SES members, and others dispatched to find him.
Senior Sergeant Doug Incoll said the man managed to provide his GPS coordinates from his phone, which allowed him to be located after about an hour.
"There was clear visibility and it was six degrees, but he was totally disoriented and ended up walking into the bush," he said.
"If the conditions were marginally worse - if it was snowing, or there was a blizzard or it was minus five degrees, he could easily have lost his life.
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"You can get hypothermia in half-an-hour up there."
The man was not injured, but was taken for an assessment.
"He was very lucky," Senior Sergeant Incoll said.
"Things could have gone pear shaped if there were adverse weather conditions.
"There could have been a different outcome."
Senior Sergeant Incoll said in other ski season news, 2040 vehicles had been turned around for failing to carry chains to Mount Hotham.
"The weather seems to be a bit milder, but it's important people carry chains where directed," he said.
"It can snow at any time.
"People need to take it seriously and be prepared when heading up there."
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