Helicopter Rescues in Tasmania "2"

[Mountain Rocket]

An update to the people above form Tas Police Facebook (again).

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter this morning rescued two women who had activated their EPIRB on the Port Davey Track in southern Tasmania.
Both bushwalkers were quickly located and taken onboard. The EPIRB was activated because one woman was unable to continue the hike due to a medical condition.
The bushwalkers were flown back to Hobart.
While on their hike the women found a black kayaking style Personal Flotation Device, south of the Arthur Ranges.
If it's yours please contact Bellerive Police on 131444.

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[Overlandman]

From Tasmania Police Facebook

The highly skilled crew of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, including members of Tasmania Police, rescued an injured man from Mt Amos on the Freycinet Peninsula (near Coles Bay) on Sunday.
The man had suffered a compound fracture to his ankle and was winched in a stretcher from the rocks.

[north-north-west]

People do tend not to take the Amos track seriously because it's relatively short. But that thing has a couple of sections that are treacherously slippery when wet and which can even ice up.

[stepbystep]

Lots of chatter about putting chains on Amos....seems a bit big brother to me, a knotted rope off an anchor is adequate to my way of thinking but I'm usually wrong

PS Robert H that PFD found it's owner...

[Tortoise]

People do tend not to take the Amos track seriously because it's relatively short. But that thing has a couple of sections that are treacherously slippery when wet and which can even ice up.

Agreed. I think the rock surface is more difficult in places than many far harder walks. And it's so very accessible to so many people wearing a wide variety of footwear. I thought last time I was there that it's surprising there aren't more serious injuries.

[Thylaseen]

I spoke with one of the guys who was there at the time. 'It was just one of those things' - not sure on the details but 'part of his body went one way, and another stayed in the same place'.

He wasn't in favour of anything having to change.

[north-north-west]

... 'part of his body went one way, and another stayed in the same place'.

Yeah, that can cause all sorts of problems. Ouchy couch ouch type problems.

[Nuts]

Interesting story sets from Tas heli rescue:

https://www.westpacrescuetas.com.au/res ... davs-story

[north-north-west]

Interesting story sets from Tas heli rescue:

https://www.westpacrescuetas.com.au/res ... davs-story

I like that "Three days from anywhere" one. Not that the OT is exactly remote, given the traffic it gets. But the basic story is very similar to my Eldon mishap, except I only had a badly strained knee rather than a torn ligament.

[Overlandman]

From vigilante news
The Westpac Rescue helicopter is currently searching the Mt Wellington area for missing walkers.
Hope for a good outcome.

Good news. Two walkers have been found.
Regards OLM

[Mountain Rocket]

Not a rescue as such, but still relevant.

Five new crew members are training to become part of the rescue team of police officers, paramedics and doctors managing the increasing demand of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.

Two women from Tasmania Police and two women and one man from Ambulance Tasmania have successfully completed a number of training courses in Hobart and Sydney throughout the past two months, including wilderness survival, underwater escape training, crew resources management and wire awareness.

Now in the final stage of their training they will complete a four-week ground and flying course at Rotorlift Aviation.

Congratulations crew members for being a part of this amazing and important team.

Taken from https://www.facebook.com/thevigilantene ... 2032393766

[Mountain Rocket]

The chopper crew apparently rescued a 55 year old man who had broken his ankle skiing at Mount Field back on Friday.
https://www.facebook.com/Tas.Police/pos ... 3853004172

[Warin]

While not a rescue this news piece may be of some interest.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-14/e ... s/10236520

[Mountain Rocket]

A rescue yesterday found on Tas Police FB:

Top work by the highly skilled crew of Westpac Rescue Helicopter Tasmania, including Tas Police officers, who picked up a 60-year-old woman with a medical condition from Wineglass Bay today.

https://www.facebook.com/Tas.Police/pho ... 766623247/

[Overlandman]

Funding boost for Rescue Chopper
From ABC

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-18/ ... t/10390650

[Overlandman]

A 52 year old Queensland man was winched from the South Coast Track on Monday with an ankle injury.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... naN7J&_rdr

[devoswitch]

Just spoke with a couple of walkers from a party that had to set off their PLB on a trip from Cockle creek to Melaleuca. Apparently one of the party developed and infection on their arm from a small cut that turned really bad, really fast. Undergone a couple of surgeries over the last couple of days. They took the PLB with them in the helicopter and the next day or so walking back to Cockle another of the party sustained a deep laceration approx 1cm deep and had to walk out for a couple of days with deep cut. Also another in the party who walked out developed the same infection and I believe has undergone surgery too! Glad they’re all going okay now I believe. Sounded very eventful!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Just spoke with a couple of walkers from a party that had to set off their PLB on a trip from Cockle creek to Melaleuca. Apparently one of the party developed and infection on their arm from a small cut that turned really bad, really fast. Undergone a couple of surgeries over the last couple of days. They took the PLB with them in the helicopter and the next day or so walking back to Cockle another of the party sustained a deep laceration approx 1cm deep and had to walk out for a couple of days with deep cut. Also another in the party who walked out developed the same infection and I believe has undergone surgery too! Glad they’re all going okay now I believe. Sounded very eventful!

Yikes. If I ever got asked to join a walk with that group I think I would politely decline.....

[doogs]

Sou

Just spoke with a couple of walkers from a party that had to set off their PLB on a trip from Cockle creek to Melaleuca. Apparently one of the party developed and infection on their arm from a small cut that turned really bad, really fast. Undergone a couple of surgeries over the last couple of days. They took the PLB with them in the helicopter and the next day or so walking back to Cockle another of the party sustained a deep laceration approx 1cm deep and had to walk out for a couple of days with deep cut. Also another in the party who walked out developed the same infection and I believe has undergone surgery too! Glad they’re all going okay now I believe. Sounded very eventful!

Yikes. If I ever got asked to join a walk with that group I think I would politely decline.....

Sounds like a bunch of fun-guys to hang out with. I bet their humour is infectious...

[Lophophaps]

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[Overlandman]

Good outcome

From the Advocate

A woman who failed to meet up with her husband after a walk in the Douglas-Apsley National Park has been found by emergency services.

The woman, 66, was reported missing on Friday night by Tasmania Police.

After a land and air search on Friday evening, the search resumed on Saturday morning, where she was found by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

She was found uninjured but had become disorientated while walking with her husband on Friday afternoon.

The woman, a tourist from England, was found in an area upstream from the Douglas-Apsley gorge, where she had planned on walking.

After being checked over by a paramedic, she did not require any further medical treatment.

[Mountain Rocket]

Hoping for a good outcome with this one.

https://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasm ... c2fb1e6c49

A SEARCH is under way for a plane missing in the Southwest National Park.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority responded to a beacon activation about 8.30am on Saturday.

The authority’s challenger jet and two Tasmania Police helicopters are searching an area of about 171 sq km for the light aircraft.

There has been no contact with the plane, understood to have one person on board, since the beacon was activated.

An Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman said the search team was battling rugged terrain and poor weather.

“The helicopters are actually waiting out a bit of bad weather before continuing,” she said.

“They’re doing everything they can at this stage to locate the aircraft.”

A Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman said the beacon had been activated around Federation Peak.

“We are monitoring the situation and hoping for the best,” he said.

(ignoring the spokesperson changing sex at the end )

[Warin]

Fingers crossed.. was on its way to Melaleuca to pickup some bushwalkers ... bit from ABC
Airlines of Tasmania managing director Shannon Wells said the aircraft is fitted with a satellite tracker.

"As result of this, we have a reasonably accurate position of where the aircraft could be found," Mr Wells said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-08/ ... a/10597294

Should be a lot less than 171 sq kms...

Flight tracker for the AMSA search plane CL60 appears to be real time..
https://www.flightradar24.com/CL60/1eccd55c
Search appears to be centred around The Needles.

Using flight 24 playback .. lost tracking of the missing plane between Glen Huon and Arve Loop Forest Reserve. They look to be searching WSW of there...

[tastrax]

Try a replay from about here https://www.flightradar24.com/2018-12-0 ... ,146.14/10 for the AMSA jet (CL-60) flight pattern - closes in around the east/west portal area

[Warin]

Try a replay from about here https://www.flightradar24.com/2018-12-0 ... ,146.14/10 for the AMSA jet (CL-60) flight pattern - closes in around the east/west portal area

The plane looks to be doing a visual search out the left side.. there are many flight paths along ranges in the area. Possibly the plane has no direction finding gear for 121.5 MHz... just the usual signal strength system. Cheap.
There are at least two circular paths that are flown numerous times suggesting that the centre of them is the estimated centre of the search area. You can see them in the abc link I gave above.

Where are the choppers I did see them in earlier time frames.
No updates on the news outlets.

[Overlandman]

From Vigilante News Facebook page
”The Westpac Rescue helicopter has dropped 3 Police search crew & an Ambulance paramedic into the South West National Park area around 5.00pm.
They have direction finding equipment to locate the beacon”.

Thoughts are with the pilots family, Shannon & all at Par Avion.
OLM

[Overlandman]

Not good

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-09/ ... a/10597750

Search and rescue police say the plane's sole occupant, the pilot, could not have survived the crash. The wreckage has been located in Tasmania's remote south-west.

RIP
OLM

[north-north-west]

TasPol FB page says the wreckage has been found near West Portal, no chance of survival. Still too dodgy to winch the team in and check the wreckage properly, however.

[Mountain Rocket]

TasPol FB page says the wreckage has been found near West Portal, no chance of survival. Still too dodgy to winch the team in and check the wreckage properly, however.

Yeah just came here to share that news. For the folks avoiding FB:

Police can confirm that wreckage of a light plane missing near Federation Peak in Tasmania’s remote south west has been located but sadly there is no chance of survival.

The plane was located by the Westpac Rescue helicopter at West Portal, near the Western Arthur Ranges about 7.10pm last night.

Tragically, it was determined by the highly experienced search and rescue police on board that the pilot could not have survived the crash.

The conditions were too dangerous for the Search and Rescue members to be winched down to the scene at that time.

“Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time. We remain in contact and we will continue to provide them with the information we currently know to assist them in coming to terms with this terrible accident. We intend to helicopter an investigation team to the site today,” Inspector David Wiss said.

“The terrain is steep and dangerous and we will be only using investigators and forensic officers with Search and Rescue training. With the search phase concluded AMSA has now handed full control to Tasmania Police".

The matter is now before the Coroner and Tasmania Police will work closely with the national transport safety investigator the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

Thoughts go out to all involved.

Edit: Another update from Tas Police FB:

Search and rescue trained forensic investigators have retrieved the pilot’s body following yesterday’s tragic light plane crash near Federation Peak in Tasmania’s remote south-west.

The investigators were flown in by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter today and winched down to the scene.

"It was important to achieve this for the sake of the family and to ensure a greater understanding of the events that contributed to this tragic event,” Inspector Dave Wiss said.

As part of the forensic examination, the Emergency Location Transmitter, which is effectively the plane's EPIRB, has been removed from the wreckage and has been returned to Hobart for examination.

Our thoughts continue to be with the pilot’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.

[TasTygerGrl]

Really feeling for the family, Shannon and all who work with or fly with Par Avion. A great bunch, just hope the coroners report doesn’t hurt them further. Weather can be so fickle around the Arthur’s.

Imagine being those hikers at melaleuca wondering where their plane was. And I guess the crash didn’t cause fire with it being so damp around that location.....Still not a good outcome however you look at a crash