The extreme heat in many parts of the country doesn’t seem to be deterring bushwalkers from getting out into the Great Outdoors … or from stopping them getting into trouble while doing it.
Yesterday, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter winched a party of six off Mount Amos in Freycinet National Park in Tasmania when they apparently veered off the path, and in New South Wales a few days earlier a 65-year-old man became lost while on a multi-day bushwalk in Kosciuszko National Park and was rescued after activating his personal locator beacon (PLB).
The incidents have led to renewed calls from police for bushwalkers to be properly prepared for their adventures, and to be properly equipped.
After the Tasmanian rescue in which several members of the party of two adults and four teenagers were treated for exhaustion and mild dehydration, Senior Constable Josh Peach said the hour-long rescue drama should serve as a warning to all.
“We never want to discourage people from the great outdoors, but for trips like that where they’re not marked and there is no signage at Freycinet suggesting such a walk, do some research first,” he said. “The terrain there is quite difficult … it is quite steep, scrubby and there is no water.”
The man rescued at Kosciuszko National Park was forced to sleep overnight among rocks after weather prevented a rescue helicopter from joining the search for him. He was eventually found cold and tired but otherwise uninjured.
Queanbeyan Police Duty Officer Inspector Michael Handley told the Canberra Times that the incident highlighted the importance of people registering their hiking details and carrying a PLB.
“Regardless of experience, any person can require assistance in the mountains,” he said. “PLBs are the only reliable method of signalling for help.”
The rescued man had made it to Mount Tate before becoming disorientated and losing his path in ‘Rolling Grounds’, an area north west of Guthega.
· Do you carry a PLB when hiking in remote areas? Comment below.
