Helicopter Rescues in Tasmania "2"

[Old Fart]

Breaking story

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-27/s ... ia/6981094


Search for bushwalker missing in Tasmania's south west
Updated 25 minutes ago

Tasmanian police rescue helicopter flies over trees
PHOTO: The Tasmanian police rescue helicopter has been sent to look for the missing bushwalker. (ABC News)
MAP: Southport 7109
A search is underway for a bushwalker who has been missing for more than 24 hours in Tasmania's rugged south-west.

The 28-year-old man from New South Wales was walking with three other bushwalkers when he became separated from the group about 10am on Thursday.

The man is believed to be in the South Cape Range, between South Cape Rivulet and Granite Beach.
Police said he was an experienced walker and had warm clothes, sleeping equipment and a small supply of food, but he was not carrying the group's locator beacon when he became separated.

A search and rescue party and the rescue helicopter are on their way to the area.

[north-north-west]

Given the weather at the moment, that's a worry. Hope he has the sense to pitch his ten (assuming he's carrying one) and wait to be found.

[Strider]

Was an experienced walker? Or is?

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[DanShell]

Given the weather at the moment, that's a worry. Hope he has the sense to pitch his ten (assuming he's carrying one) and wait to be found.

You wouldn't go down there and not carry one surely??

Was an experienced walker? Or is?

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

He is more experienced now! I hope having typed this that the he is found safe and sound

[north-north-west]

Given the weather at the moment, that's a worry. Hope he has the sense to pitch his ten (assuming he's carrying one) and wait to be found.

You wouldn't go down there and not carry one surely??

Part of a group. He may have been sharing a tent that someone else was carrying.

Read another article that said the chopper's been recalled due to wind and that he does have a tent. So lets hope he's found somewhere to pitch it and can wait out the worst weather.

[DanShell]

Given the weather at the moment, that's a worry. Hope he has the sense to pitch his ten (assuming he's carrying one) and wait to be found.

You wouldn't go down there and not carry one surely??

Part of a group. He may have been sharing a tent that someone else was carrying.

Read another article that said the chopper's been recalled due to wind and that he does have a tent. So lets hope he's found somewhere to pitch it and can wait out the worst weather.

Have tent...its shelter...will survive, providing its not too cold...which it shouldn't be, even given the cold snap?

[Old Fart]

They've just found him,

Missing NSW bushwalker found after two days in Tasmania's south-west wilderness
By Lucy Shannon
Updated 15 minutes ago

RELATED STORY: Bushwalker search hampered by wind 'blowing water back up waterfalls'
MAP: TAS
A rescue helicopter has found a New South Wales bushwalker who has been missing for two days.

The 28-year-old man became separated from his party in the South Cape Range and there were fears he was injured.

Police said the man was safe and well.

The rescue helicopter had to pull out of the search on Friday because of strong winds but conditions improved this morning.

Inspector Lee Renshaw of Tasmania Police said the walkers were in adverse weather when the man became lost.

"There were five people walking, they were passing each other on the track with the intention of, in the evening, stopping at the South Coast Rivulet campsite," he said.

"When they all arrived there late on the Thursday night, the missing person failed to turn up."

Inspector Renshaw said he had been well equipped to look after himself but did not have an emergency beacon

"He's a very experienced bushwalker, he has good medical knowledge as a pharmacist, he has walking experience, he's well equipped," he said.

One of his fellow walkers joined the search this morning. His partner is flying into Hobart from New South Wales.

It is the third rescue in four weeks.

Earlier this month, two Victorian people called for helped after finding the terrain too difficult at Mount Lot.

Two weeks before that, a 37-year-old Tasmanian man spent two nights in freezing conditions at Mount Anne before search teams found him.

[bumpingbill]

I feel that we should link to the article, rather that just take (copy/paste) the content and re-publish it. Things change, articles are updated, and it's always good to source references.

Article here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-28/m ... ss/6982974

Mercury article here: http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasma ... 7625403226

[bumpingbill]

New detail from the ABC article above

* He followed a rivulet to the coast and laid out a tarpaulin, which was spotted by the rescue helicopter this morning near Granite Beach.

The cops say he did everything right, but seem to want every walker in a group to carry their own EPIRBs

* "Preferably we'd like everyone to carry an EPIRB but on this occasion, without one, he's done all the right things," he said.

[corvus]

I believe that poor duty of care from the rest of his group was responsible for this, where was the walk at the pace of the slowest? check and double check and keep in contact with all of your walking group?not Rocket Science and a total avoidable waste of Money.
Glad the outcome was good.

[north-north-west]

A lot of experienced groups walk like this. Plan A: See you at the campsite. Plan B: See you back at the carpark.

[corvus]

So how experienced was this group and why walk in a group if you split up with the PLB only one member was carrying ? when I walk with Mates it is for the joint pleasure of company ,reparee and BS at a mutual destination.

[corvus]

A lot of experienced groups walk like this. Plan A: See you at the campsite. Plan B: See you back at the carpark.

The word in your post is "experienced" groups.

[MrWalker]

So how experienced was this group and why walk in a group if you split up with the PLB only one member was carrying ? when I walk with Mates it is for the joint pleasure of company ,reparee and BS at a mutual destination.

Not everyone wants to chat all along the way and different people like to walk at a different pace and stop and look at different things along the way.
When I walk anywhere I go at a fast pace all the way. Usually I make extra side trips to fill in the time. My son walks at the same speed as me, but stops very frequently to take photos. My wife walks at about half my speed, but at a steady pace, so ends up finishing about the same time as my son. If we had to walk as a group we would never go anywhere. But we always leave notes or other markers if we leave the trail, so we always know who is ahead and who is behind. I usually have the beacon because I make extra side trips, but sometimes I give it to my son if he is going to be in last place for a while.

Part of the problem with this group seems to be that they didn't actually know where everyone was, relative to each other, and one in last place may not have had the beacon.

[corvus]

So how experienced was this group and why walk in a group if you split up with the PLB only one member was carrying ? when I walk with Mates it is for the joint pleasure of company ,reparee and BS at a mutual destination.

Not everyone wants to chat all along the way and different people like to walk at a different pace and stop and look at different things along the way.
When I walk anywhere I go at a fast pace all the way. Usually I make extra side trips to fill in the time. My son walks at the same speed as me, but stops very frequently to take photos. My wife walks at about half my speed, but at a steady pace, so ends up finishing about the same time as my son. If we had to walk as a group we would never go anywhere. But we always leave notes or other markers if we leave the trail, so we always know who is ahead and who is behind. I usually have the beacon because I make extra side trips, but sometimes I give it to my son if he is going to be in last place for a while.

Part of the problem with this group seems to be that they didn't actually know where everyone was, relative to each other, and one in last place may not have had the beacon.

This was not a family group but newbies to Tassie conditions and should have stayed together I believe, so their *&%$#! up was a waste of money, better spent on saving the Devils.

[pazzar]

Remember when PLB's weren't around? When people went missing, they generally stayed missing! Is this what you want?

You can't put a price on saving one's life.

[Old Fart]

From the Tas Ambulance Waste book page

Be sure to tune in to the 2015 series of Air Rescue on Network Seven, Thursday nights at 8:00pm starting this week. Air Rescue captures the dramatic rescues performed by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and the new series was filmed in Tasmania and features some of Ambulance Tasmania’s Intensive Care Flight Paramedics.

[corvus]

Remember when PLB's weren't around? When people went missing, they generally stayed missing! Is this what you want?

You can't put a price on saving one's life.

I don't put a price on anyone's life and as stated I was glad of the good outcome ,any of us can make mistakes however I just feel that this was carelessness from a group of supposedly experienced walkers.

[north-north-west]

From the Tas Ambulance Waste book page

Be sure to tune in to the 2015 series of Air Rescue on Network Seven, Thursday nights at 8:00pm starting this week. Air Rescue captures the dramatic rescues performed by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and the new series was filmed in Tasmania and features some of Ambulance Tasmania’s Intensive Care Flight Paramedics.

Goody! I usually avoid this sort of thing but the scenery alone will make it worthwhile. Besides, they have some really cute personnel . . .

[north-north-west]

...any of us can make mistakes however I just feel that this was carelessness from a group of supposedly experienced walkers.

You can be highly experienced overall and in certain terrain but still a stranger to the particular difficulties of new country. And you don't know the dangers until you've been there and done that.
It doesn't matter how often it's said, people who haven't been in there really just cannot understand how easy it is to lose a track in SW Tassie. The bloke in question did everything right after he got separated.

[Nuts]

Did he, he didn't stay put? The obvious lesson probably is congo line walking or a PLB for everyone, to be squeakily 'right'.

[Strider]

Did he, he didn't stay put? The obvious lesson probably is congo line walking or a PLB for everyone, to be squeakily 'right'.

He followed a creek to the coast where he could be more easily visible and laid out a tarp to attract attention.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[Nuts]

Yes. I would have very likely done the same (who knows.. probably wouldn't get in this particular fix as it would take the GPS track, map, PLB to fail, be lost etc). But then the classic 'right thing', stay where you are- blow whistle.. (before even thinking of plb).. may have resulted in party members, in coordinated response to having someone missing, finding him themselves. There are all sorts of possibilities, without knowing the circumstances, and avoiding judgement is difficult. Just chewing the fat, technically Corvus is right.

Experience to think ahead of just this scenario.. including if someone did wander off in thick forest (down a drain say..) considering there was only one beacon, if walking separately why no sooner meetup arranged (for instance).

As always, it's a relief to see a good outcome, if not an ideal one.

[MrWalker]

It doesn't matter how often it's said, people who haven't been in there really just cannot understand how easy it is to lose a track in SW Tassie.

Is the real problem here the inadequate track marking in this area? Someone else mislaid the track a few months ago and ended lost up in a gully.

There are so many people going through this area now, resulting in a lot of braided tracks, that maybe we should have more signs at any obvious track junctions and tapes or cairns where the correct route is not obvious.
However, I won't suggest that because there are some people here who enjoy removing tapes and throwing away cairns because they don't look natural.

[Azza]

It doesn't matter how often it's said, people who haven't been in there really just cannot understand how easy it is to lose a track in SW Tassie.

Is the real problem here the inadequate track marking in this area? Someone else mislaid the track a few months ago and ended lost up in a gully.

There are so many people going through this area now, resulting in a lot of braided tracks, that maybe we should have more signs at any obvious track junctions and tapes or cairns where the correct route is not obvious.
However, I won't suggest that because there are some people here who enjoy removing tapes and throwing away cairns because they don't look natural.

The South Cape Range section is a deep muddy rut, in terms of SW tracks this section is one where I'd think the likelihood of wandering off the wrong way is pretty low.
If your not knee deep in mud then your off the track..
Braided tracks come from people trying to avoid the mud.. and thus it gets worse. You could mark the 'right' way, but still people will attempt to walk around the mud.
Experience is knowing how to look out for the signs of 'the right' way and then knowing when to back track when it's not looking right. (Or in some cases pig headedly forging on through the scrub)

In clear weather with a map and compass you have a couple of pretty good navigational clues to help you out.. a big ocean on one side plus a few compass bearings off land marks should give you an idea of where you are in relation to the track on the map.
Seems a lot of walkers these day either have nothing or be loaded to the hilt with electronic devices.. questionable whether either actually know how to use a map and compass if it came to a pinch?

[DanShell]

questionable whether either actually know how to use a map and compass if it came to a pinch?

I think this is the key. How many people carry a compass and map and would struggle to use them to get themselves out of trouble? I know I was one of them once. I admit I am one of these people that carries a gps and I also have the tasmaps map of the area I am walking downloaded to my phone but I also carry a paper map and compass and taught myself how to use them.

How many people go walking into unknown territory with out a compass and map!

[Nuts]

No doubt (these guys only had a map between five so..)

By another token, given the previous anonymity, I wonder if they (those rescued) will in future have a choice other than their photo / name displayed on news feeds (like that) or (apparently now to) be made famous on reality tv?

[Nuts]

PS. If not I think i'd rather a fee deterrent (should it ever be my embarrassed *&%$#! in spotlight )

[Lophophaps]

[Nuts]

No, please. And I'm sorry but the rescue services have that wrong as well. Whether it is a statement in saving his grace (likely) or someone really believes so, the comment is not right. How far from that track, any such track, can you get before realising you are lost? Not Very.

What should have happened is that our man should have stayed where he was, as it was he had a night out anyway. If he had fallen trying to reach the coast we'd be harking on about how he should have followed common wisdom and stayed. At best, his friends (equally at question), relying on knowledge and practices that should be considered basic and obtainable anywhere and apply to any country would likely have made contact that morning rather than hit the plb. His first mistake after getting lost was to keep moving. While similar could happen to anyone I see no reliance on experience? he is just lucky that the lack of proper preparation didn't cost him his life or endanger others. Any other contention must be from the bear grylls school of skill, solo sas.

(Of course I agree with the former statement.. edit & I'll hang it next to the Desiterata)