A woman, believed to be an American visitor aged in her 60s, was found about 8.30pm on a track above the seal colony at Cape Bridgewater.

Police and State Emergency Service members had been combing the area from the Blowhole to the town’s cafe since 6pm, when the alarm was raised.

The woman was suffering from the cold but otherwise uninjured, a Portland police spokesman said.

She was taken by ambulance to Portland hospital for observation.

The south-west rescue helicopter was also involved in the search but was forced to return to its Warrnambool base because of the weather conditions and wind turbine towers in the search area.