Skiers join search for missing Canadian bushwalker at Kosciu

[Greenie]

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/skiers-join-search-for-missing-canadian-bushwalker-at-kosciuszko-20130520-2jvv8.html

Also here for more info https://www.facebook.com/HelpFindPrabhSrawn?fref=ts

[Overlandman]

From ABC News,
Hope he is found soon,

The search continues for a Canadian bushwalker who went missing in the Koscuiszko National Park in NSW almost two weeks ago.
Prabhdeep Srawn, 25, was last seen 12 days ago when he left Charlottes Pass village for a bushwalk.
He was discovered missing when his rental car was not returned on May 15.
Specialist alpine trained police, the SES and park rangers have been scouring the region by air and ground since the alarm was raised.
Today's search efforts are focusing on the north-western side of the main range, including Hennels Ridge, Mount Townsend and the Snowy River towards Guthega.

A $15,000 reward offered by Mr Srawn's family to find him has since been withdrawn to discourage amateur hikers from joining the dangerous search.

[Onestepmore]

There is a facebook site, paryer vigil here and overseas etc
Not looking good I'm afraid.
Hope and sympathy to his family and friends

[Bluegum Mic]

So sad. Fingers crossed he's bunkered down somewhere.
A girlfriend who lives in Thredbo posted a photo of the mainrange yesterday from Charlotte Pass and theres a lot of snow up there for this time of year

[north-north-west]

If he hasn't turned up yet, the chances of him doing so alive are minimal.

[Overlandman]

Inquest Now in the Coroners Court, I will post updates as they are posted on ABC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-27/r ... st/6502184

Two park rangers have told an inquest into the 2013 disappearance of a Canadian hiker that they heard a yell during the search for the man in the Snowy Mountains.

Canadian Army reservist Prabhdeep Srawn, 25, was last seen on May 13, 2013, the day before he is believed to have left Charlotte Pass Village to walk to Mount Kosciuszko.

Despite an extensive search in the surrounding mountains, no trace of him was ever found.

Parks and Wildlife ranger Jack Bulger today told the New South Wales Coroner's Court he heard a yell while was repairing a hut in the area eight days into the search.

"It was a funny sound, I'd never heard it before," he said.

"It was sort of like a half yell. You couldn't make any words or anything out of it."

Fellow ranger Mark Mitchell also heard the sound from the Opera House Hut.

"It sounded like a human, not an animal sound," Mr Mitchell said.

"It wasn't audible sounds like, 'Please help me'."

The court also heard of the blizzard-like conditions in the Snowy Mountains on the day Mr Srawn disappeared.

Former outdoor instructor Tom Batty was on the same trail just a few hours behind Mr Srawn.

Mr Batty told the court that the day started fine, but by lunchtime fierce winds and heavy snow descended on the trail, reducing visibility to just a few metres.

"It made it significantly difficult to stay on track and to continue navigating," Mr Batty said.

He told the court at one point he and his friends saw footprints in the snow.

"We just chatted amongst the three of us that were there," he said.

"We noticed that there were footprints and we wondered whose they might be."

But Mr Batty said the track would have been easy to lose as snow covered it quickly.

The inquest will continue tomorrow.

[Overlandman]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-28/p ... ch/6504896

A Canadian hiker who disappeared in the Snowy Mountains in 2013 may have died before the search for him even began, an inquest has heard.

Canadian Army reservist Prabhdeep Srawn, 25, was last seen on May 13, 2013, the day before he was believed to have left Charlotte Pass Village to walk to Mount Kosciuszko.

An extensive search of the surrounding mountains ran until May 31 but no trace of him was found.

On Wednesday, Detective Inspector Shane Vox, who was acting police commander at the time, told the court a search for Mr Srawn was not initiated until six days after he disappeared.

He said two days later a timeline for survival delivered to him by an expert stated there was every likelihood Mr Srawn would have died from exposure in the intervening days.

Detective Inspector Vox also told the court that an updated timeline given to him said Mr Srawn could have survived through to day 14, but not beyond that.

On Tuesday the court heard of the blizzard-like conditions that engulfed the mountain range the day that Mr Srawn went missing.

The court also heard from two park rangers who believed they had heard a human yell in the mountains eight days after his disappearance.
Family members call for new search effort

On Wednesday, the court also heard from police liaison for Mr Srawn's family, Rodney Smith, who said that despite being told about the inquest last October they made no arrangements to attend.

Instead, a brief statement was read out on behalf of the family, who spent the better part of 2013 in the Snowy Mountains following the disappearance.

In the statement the family indicated they still held hopes for Mr Srawn, and called for a renewed search effort in areas previously missed in 2013.

"Nobody has evidence or proof that our beloved Prabh is not alive," it read.

"We are aware that there is a massive area not explored so far.

"Our belief and convictions are that Prabh is still right there. Miracles do happen."

But in closing submissions counsel assisting recommended the court declare Mr Srawn legally deceased.

The court has reserved its decision.

[perfectlydark]

Gee that family need to accept the obvious, for their own good. 2 years on hoping hes alive? My god..

[Strider]

I still think he's on a beach somewhere in the Whitsundays drinking cocktails.

[johnk1]

Totally agree. Whether he has passed or drinking cocktails in the sun, the family needs to accept that he is gone.

[gayet]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-26/n ... -s/6574988

Coroner declares missing bushwalker dead.

[wildwalks]

You can read the inquest findings here.

http://www.coroners.justice.nsw.gov.au/Documents/Prabhdeep%20Srawn%20Findings.pdf

Sad story.

[Zone-5]

Here is an amazing extended private search for Mr. Srawn described here in detail...

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/201 ... _bush.html

[Lophophaps]

Very sad. Knowing the result and reading about the utter inevitability due to inadequate gear and poor weather makes the Coroner's Report depressing reading. There's case that such information be shared across jurisdictions, with a report of the Tassie fire bombing and the remedies sent to other agencies as well. Death by misadventure or by fire bombing could happen anywhere. The NSW PWS had signs with the wrong information. As is often the case, nothing is done until there is a tragedy.

[Travis22]

It was a good read, nothing we didnt already know but it was frustrating to see the note that the family didnt believe the report would be conducted fairly and wouldnt be involved in it.
And to think that he's still alive, well the only possible way he is still alive is if the disappearance was a hoax.

I genuinly believe there is no doubt he was caught out by the changing weather with little to no appropriate equipment or clothing and passed away in the extreme weather conditions that followed.

I really hope that one day his remains will be found so his family can finally have some closure. I think they will be discovered one day but it could be tomorrow or 50years from now.

Travis.

[north-north-west]

Cadaver dogs would be the way to go, but the Western Fall is not an easy place to take them. Not an easy place to do anything.

[Zone-5]

...the Western Fall is not an easy place... Not an easy place to do anything.

PLB should be mandatory for this region...

[climberman]

...the Western Fall is not an easy place... Not an easy place to do anything.

PLB should be mandatory for this region...

Why?

Many thousands of people walk and ride here every year with no issues at all. Often hundreds on any day.

How would it be policed?

Would you turn people away?

Would the state buy 500 PLBs and manage them and sign them in and out every day?

[Travis22]

Why?

Many thousands of people walk and ride here every year with no issues at all. Often hundreds on any day.

How would it be policed?

Would you turn people away?

Would the state buy 500 PLBs and manage them and sign them in and out every day?

Exactly the points the coroners report made with regards to mandatory PLB use up there and i agree, the responsibility rests with the individual.

[Allchin09]

A PLB is just one way of letting people know where you are when in trouble. Leaving detailed trip intentions with a responsible person can also go a long way in assisting with locating someone in a rescue.

[north-north-west]

Yes, it would be impossible to police, given the multiple access points. You'd have to have manned gates on every road and track.
Besides, the Darwin Awards can always do with some extra entries.

[wander]

Making PLBs mandatory is not too crazy.

And there is no point policing it.

Certainly there will be a 20% non compliance rate because people are stupid.

But anything to get the participation of PLB carriage rate up will help the the long term prospects to rescue folks, prevent some deaths and reduce the search folks form having to go out which reduced their risks.

I'm with the coroner in the findings. I've spent enough time out in the Main Range to know exactly how easy it could be to be caught by weather and not be found. It's a steep rocky jungle out there.

[climberman]

Besides, the Darwin Awards can always do with some extra entries.

I's suggest a massive proportion of people up there every summer would be ineligible, having bred already.

[climberman]

Making PLBs mandatory is not too crazy.

And there is no point policing it.

Certainly there will be a 20% non compliance rate because people are stupid.

But anything to get the participation of PLB carriage rate up will help the the long term prospects to rescue folks, prevent some deaths and reduce the search folks form having to go out which reduced their risks.

I'm with the coroner in the findings. I've spent enough time out in the Main Range to know exactly how easy it could be to be caught by weather and not be found. It's a steep rocky jungle out there.

Good god, promoting cyclist licensing, mandatory PLB carriage, in on of the few nations on earth where bike helmet laws are compulsory....

Madness.

It's not like people are dying there weekly.

[Travis22]

Theres no way 80% of the day trippers up there are going to carry a PLB and this case is just that, a day tripper who got caught out.

I would be surprised if 1% of the day tripping visitors carried a PLB.

Travis.

[wander]

Yeah, fair enough, I was thinking more of wanderers off the paved way to the summit of the big K.

[DarrenM]

Certainly there will be a 20% non compliance rate because people are stupid.

But anything to get the participation of PLB carriage rate up will help the the long term prospects to rescue folks, prevent some deaths and reduce the search folks form having to go out which reduced their risks.

I prefer the 20% non compliance would be from ignorance over stupidity. I'd rather see (as the report suggests) better signage and logbook style register when leaving the major trailheads.

An 10 by 10 sign warning of the dangers and the importance of signing in with intentions, simple narrow gate with logbook register at Charlotte Pass for example.

At present, there is very little serious signage and in your face warnings about the dangers. Who knows what a simple logbook with intention may have done in this specific case. It was always going to be a 50/50 chance Prabh may have signed it anyway but many people would.

I have often thought of simple modern alternatives to logbooks. Basic touchscreen (sheltered) style asking questions on party size destination and return dates. Simply for use in scenarios such as this incident.

The logistics of mandatory PLBs in KNP is monumentally difficult to manage and IMO not the answer. Education is the only reasonable avenue whereby people don't feel as though they are being controlled or managed but have been given the opportunity to learn about the responsibility they have, not only for themselves but those who may end up searching for them.

As stated many times before, the rates of people getting in trouble are relatively low and there is always an alarmist response from some sectors. National Parks have finite budgets but I'm quite sure the few suggestions of improved awareness of the conditions and importance of carrying PLBs would be better than full scale PLB control.

[climberman]

Mate, I'm even going to rail against mass signage. I'm so over huge signs everywhere alerting me to the dangers of the world it's insane.

[DarrenM]

Can I have a slightly smaller sign perhaps?

My reasoning with signage probably comes from a similar underlying sentiment of being free to make our own choices. I replied to an article almost 20 years ago where expressions of interest were being sought on introducing a Backcountry Patrol onto the Main Range of KNP.

I can't remember the event that triggered the story or the interest in controlling people in the backcountry, but from that time on I've always feared one day we wouldn't have the freedom to travel unhindered. My thoughts have always been, a firm alternative including awareness of conditions and responsibility of safe travel and equipment use. I guess it's my way of saying let's show we are being proactive as responsible backcountry travellers......but step through the gate by way of free will. Sign the book or not, you've been warned in a fairly large way.

I guess the general hysteria has somehow even affected my views over the years as I hate being told what I can and can't do in the wild.

[perfectlydark]

The log book idea sounds best i reckon. Cant say im familiar with the area but id be surprised if there wasnt log books there?