A couple who spent the night lost in freezing, stormy weather in the Snowy Mountains will testify to the fact that it pays to be properly equipped for a long bushwalk … even if you’re only planning a short one!
The 62-year-old woman and 65-year-old man survived severe weather, including minus 10-degree temperatures, after unexpectedly having to spend a night in the bush near Thredbo.
Police say they managed to find their way back to Thredbo, nearly 24 hours after departing for a walk and needed nothing more than a “hot shower and a good feed”.
“They found a large rock and some trees where they could huddle up together and find shelter,” NSW superintendent Rod Smith told the Canberra Times. “The conditions couldn’t have been much worse really.”
The couple got lost on their walk and phoned emergency services in the mid-afternoon. However, police were unable to track their location by mobile phone and were not able to call them back for more information.
A massive search had to be called off in the early hours of the morning as the area was hit by electrical storms and heavy rain.
Superintendent Smith said fortunately the pair had “enough nous and enough resources” to make it through the night.
“They were equipped quite well for a day bushwalking, they had thermal clothing and Goretex gear and sufficient food,” he told the Canberra Times. “But they were not equipped for a night trip and not expecting a night trip,”
Superintendent Smith urged bushwalkers to notify NSW National Parks and Wildlife of any plans to take a walk in the area. He also recommended tourists take a GPS device and sufficient food and clothing.
“Particularly this time of year when you can walk out on a day where there’s blue sky and good weather and it can change so quickly,” he said.
* Have you ever been ‘caught out’ when on a bushwalk? What precautions do you take? Comment below.
Comment: Always prepare for the worst, even being caught out overnight when on a day trip, especially in remote areas. Carry a space blanket, a PLB and mobile phone (reception permitted), matches, dry (warm) clothing, fire starters optional, extra food (carbs), first aid supplies and medication to sustain you for 48 hours, rain coat and rain hat, over pants and yellow/pink tape to mark your way back, if lost. Above all, do not wear jeans under any circumstances.
Chris Sorensen
Sutherland Bushwalkers