Beautiful but potentially deadly … authorities warn travellers to be prepared if you visit remote areas
The deaths of six travellers in remote Australia in the past week or two has sparked renewed warnings about the need for caution and planning when heading out on an Outback adventure.
In the most recent incident, the bodies of two young adults and two children were found about 4.5 kilometres from their broken down car about 300 kilometres from Alice Springs. Just days earlier, a young solo motorcyclist died on a remote track in the Kimberley, and a 27-year-old hiker died in WA’s mid west region. Both died of suspected heat exposure and dehydration.
Thermal physiologist Matt Brearley told the ABC that as average temperatures crept upwards over time, the behaviour of outback travellers would have to change.
“If people don’t change their activities based upon the climate, yes it will become more dangerous,” Mr Brearley said. “But it doesn’t have to … I think these tragedies should prompt us to consider whether we are doing things appropriately.”
He said that because the Outback was only getting hotter gradually, people were underestimating the need to change their plans.
“So families may have done an annual camping trip into the outback at a certain time of year, and it may have been done for the last 20 or 30 years,” he said. “It could be a family tradition, but that might not be as possible now and into the future.”
He said those that still chose to go needed to plan for it differently, by bringing more ice and water and ensuring they could access more supplies during their trip, for example.
Mr Brearley also told the ABC that once the body reached 40 degrees, it only had about a 30 minutes to cool down, or else there would be a high risk of permanent consequences, such as impaired kidney function, brain function, liver function or death.
He said resting could be critical to avoiding heat exposure.
“If someone is sitting next to their bogged vehicle in Australia for days and days, you tend to not get super hot,” he told the ABC. “If you are trying to dig that vehicle out, that might be where heat stroke might get you so not moving around — reducing how much activity you do in extremely hot conditions — is critical.”
The recent tragedies have also led to calls much wider mobile coverage in the bush.
Its not hard…or rocket science…just copy the animals..
Rest n stay cool during the heat of the day.
Do what you have to in the cooler hours…!
Lived in the bush for years, Someone on a motor bike with summer hot air passing them may feel a little cool but dehydration is at a much much faster rate. People forget that or don’t know. You can see their face is the same color as a beetroot. This kills motorcyclists in Oz. has done before and will again. Your organs just shut down and you cant be saved. One young man wanted to ride a pushbike through the center of Oz in summer. You cannot carry enough cold water without a support vehicle and are stupid to do it on your own anyway. Road temperatures exceed 50 degrees centigrade in summer. You got to keep body temperature down or you will die. Simple as that.
I don’t need some Thermal physiologist to tell me that the outback is hot in summer and you may have to carry extra water etc. I’m with you “Pat in the Top End”, this is not rocket science. Personal responsibility would be a good start for anyone travelling, not just in the outback.
We have just returned from 5 months on the Road, up the middle,down the West Coast and back across the Nullabor. We were amazed at the amount of people on pushbikes riding an these roads in Aust heat. You have to be prepared, plenty of water & food, stay with your vehicle. There is plenty of info out there of what to do to stay safe. Why do some not listen, or think, I will be fine, it won’t happen to me.
A few years ago my wife and I were transporting a motor home from Melbourne to Perth and come across a guy on a push bike on the side of the road holding a water bottle over his head, cars were passing him and we figured he wanted water so we stopped. First look at him u could see he was in distress. He said his vision was blurred and was dizzy, so we lay him down in the camper and gave him waster wet towel on forehead for and hour or so He came good. We loaded him with lots of water and off he went . Few more hours without water and he would b done I reckon.