Helicopter Rescues in Tasmania "2"

[Overlandman]

From Tas Police

Two injured bushwalkers have been rescued from the Overland Track this morning.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Tasmania was deployed to New Pelion Hut on the northern part of the Overland Track after receiving a call for assistance about 9am.

A man in his 50s who was part of a walking party had suffered a knee injury and couldn’t walk.

Shortly afterwards at 9.45am, police and emergency services received a call for assistance for a man, also in his 50s, who was suffering from a medical condition and was located at Windermere Hut.

Both men were rescued by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew around midday, and received medical attention.

“Police would like to remind bushwalkers to adequately equip themselves for all walks," Sergeant Kriss Lawler said.

“In this instance, both bushwalkers were with a walking group and help was able to be quickly raised with a working phone.

"If you’re intending to go bushwalking, make sure you’re adequately prepared in terms of suitable food, water, clothing, shelter and a reliable means of communication (phone or EPIRB).

“Downloading an Emergency App is a useful tool to provide police with reliable co-ordinates of a person’s location."

Download the app here:

https://emergencyapp.triplezero.gov.au/

[Nuts]

Yep, well done to all involved. Including the park staff and guides.

[Overlandman]

From LAFM Facebook
A 19-year-old Rosebery woman suffered a medical condition while hiking near the summit of Mt Murchison and raised the alarm on Tuesday afternoon.' She was walking with a 20-year-old man. Bad weather prevented a rescue chopper pickup and they've spent a night in atrocious conditions along with police and SES volunteers.

Hoping to rescue her today.

Source: https://lafm.com.au/news/tasmanian-news ... ast-rescue
Tasmanian News
© LAFM


Edit Carried back down. Well done to the Rescue party.
OLM

[Overlandman]

A couple from yesterday.

From vigilante news

Further to our report yesterday afternoon, Tasmania Police have provided an update on two incidents that occurred yesterday afternoon.

The first one was around 3:00pm an EPIRB was detected by AUSAR the location was at the southern end of Lake Burbury (near Queenstown). A 33 year old male bushwalker planning to walk to the Fincham Hut on the Fincham Track lost his mobile phone which held his maps of the area. The Westpac Emergency Rescue Helicopter was deployed to the area, the male was located and extracted from the area by the helicopter. The male was not injured and was transported to Hobart.

The second at 6:55pm Police received a call from a concerned relative of a group of four adult bushwalkers lost in the Leven Canyon area. A search and rescue team was mobilised, but the lost walkers emerged prior to the team’s deployment. The group had no warm clothing, wet weather gear, or food and were ill equipped for an extended walk and/or an overnight walk. The group had intended to walk part of the Penguin to Cradle Trail.

As some National Parks and State Reserves are now open after the recent easing of COVID-19 restrictions, police would like to remind members of the public to plan their trips, take appropriate clothing/equipment and check weather forecasts for inclement weather conditions. It is also recommended that bushwalkers advise family (and/or friends) of the location of their intended walks, estimated time of arrival and abide by any directions from Parks and Wildlife.

[Overlandman]

One from today

Vigilante news

The Tasmania Police Westpac rescue helicopter has landed at the RHH helipad following a medivac from Mount Direction Conservation Area. We understand the elderly patient suffered a fall whilst walking in the area.


Update from ABC

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-07/ ... a/12331174

[north-north-west]

That didn't take long, did it?

[Overlandman]

One for today
Vigilante news

Police search and rescue teams, with the assistance of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, extracted an injured man from the Holwell Gorge today.

A 56-year-old man from Latrobe was walking alone at Holwell Falls this morning when he badly broke his ankle and was unable to move. Fortunately, he had mobile phone reception and called for assistance.

Police Search and Rescue were activated along with volunteers from the State Emergency Service and walked in to locate and rescue the man. The Westpac Rescue Helicopter deployed and the man was extracted from the gorge and taken to Launceston General Hospital where he is receiving treatment.

[danman]

A couple from yesterday.



The first one was around 3:00pm an EPIRB was detected by AUSAR the location was at the southern end of Lake Burbury (near Queenstown). A 33 year old male bushwalker planning to walk to the Fincham Hut on the Fincham Track lost his mobile phone which held his maps of the area. The Westpac Emergency Rescue Helicopter was deployed to the area, the male was located and extracted from the area by the helicopter. The male was not injured and was transported to Hobart.

.

Has anyone been out this way? My understanding is the track to fincham's would be very much non existent at this point. I would anticipate it to be a very long scrub bash. Although if he was picked up from the southern end of burbury maybe he didn't get very far.

[ILUVSWTAS]

An associate of mine says it's easy enough to follow as the road is heavily overgrown with cutting grass. As long as you follow the cutting grass you know your on the old road.

Sounds fun right?

[north-north-west]

I tried reaching it from the other end. While somewhat overgrown in places, the track over the Raglan Range is fine until it drops down to the first Canyon Creek crossing, where it disappears under fallen timber (mainly flood damage) for a couple of hundred metres. Once clear of the creek it comes out onto open ground and is good again until the junction with the Fincham Track west of Maud. Bauera and treefalls were more of a problem than cutting grass.

[Overlandman]

Ongoing from yesterday

From ABC news

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-19/ ... r/12372216

A search has resumed for a bushwalker who failed to return from a day walk in Tasmania's south-west wilderness on Thursday.

The walker spent a night in near-freezing conditions in bushland near Strathgordon.

He was reported missing at about 7:00pm after failing to come back from a day trip to the Sentinel Range area near Lake Pedder.

[matagi]

Just updated on the TasPol facebook page - the walker is 19 years old and has been found dead. Apparently a fall from height.

[Overlandman]

One from today

https://www.facebook.com/14331518908172 ... 282096083/



A 62-year-old man has been rescued after activating his emergency beacon while bushwalking in the Southwest National Park this afternoon.
The man, who was walking alone, activated the Personal Locator Beacon about 2:35pm when weather conditions worsened, and he was unable to find his way back to the track.

[Overlandman]

From Vigilante news

The Tasmania Police Westpac rescue has been activated to a medivac at the Mt Wedge track in Tasmania’s southwest. The helicopter landed at the scene moments ago.
More to come

[Overlandman]

Saved our Tax payers a few dollars as the chopper wasn’t required.

From ABC

Police have urged the public to carry personal locating beacons if they plan to walk in Tasmania's wilderness, after a man was "overcome" by the conditions soon after setting out for a six-day walk and had to be rescued.

On Monday night, police said they had begun a search-and-rescue operation after the activation of a locator beacon on the Overland Track, in the state's alpine region.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-20/ ... k/12475284

[Overlandman]

From Vigilante News

Northern Search and Rescue respond to multiple incidents

On 22 July 2020 Tasmania Police and SES responded to two separate calls for assistance from bushwalkers in the north of the state.

Walls of Jerusalem National Park – At approximately 5.30pm Tasmania Police were notified by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in Canberra of an EPIRB activation; the EPIRB was registered in the name of the walker, a 39 year old female from Turners Beach. A short time after this the Next of Kin for the walker also contacted Tasmania Police to report her overdue.

The Westpac rescue helicopter was activated and located the walker, winching her on board without incident. The bush walker had become unwell and had activated her EPIRB after losing the track in the dense bush. The walker was experienced, well equipped and had notified NOK of her intended walking area and expected return time. These details and the registration of her EPIRB greatly assisted police to successfully and quickly locate her and rescue her from her situation.

Mount Victoria – At approximately 5.15pm Tasmania Police were contacted by a male walker who had been walking to the summit of Mount Victoria, in the North East of the state. A man from Victoria who has been residing in Tasmania for the last 4 months had become separated from his friend and could not find the track he was walking on. The man’s mobile telephone battery subsequently went flat and police were unable to communicate with him.

Police, SES Search and Rescue and the Westpac rescue helicopter all attended the Mount Victoria track, locating the walker’s friend. At approximately 10pm the man was located by the Westpac rescue helicopter and winched on board, he was reunited with his friend without incident.

Senior Sergeant Justin Bidgood would like to remind bushwalkers of the need to be well prepared, carrying adequate clothing for all weather conditions, food and water and advise someone of where you intend to walk and what time you expect to return. Mobile telephone coverage in Tasmania shouldn’t be relied on, however walkers should ensure their phone has adequate charge and walkers are encouraged to carry an EPIRB or Personal Locator Beacon which is registered with AMSA for use in emergency situations.

[Chris]

A group of walkers who had just climbed Mt Victoria yesterday encountered the 2 young men starting to go up about 3 to 3.30 yesterday afternoon. They were warned by several of the group that it was slippery and icy up there, and it was much too late to start going up. They had head torches, but clothing did not appear suitable or adequate. One commented that it would be easy after what they had already done. The group was half expecting to hear about a rescue - now thankful that at least it was a successful rescue and the consequence were no worse.

[Overlandman]

Weather our greatest challenge

Story from ABC

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-01/ ... e/12494614

Locals in Tasmania's high country are known to be fond of the saying there is "no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing".

Sunny one moment, icy the next, the climate in Tasmania's central and western mountainous country has caught many interlopers out, badly.

[Overlandman]

From Vigilante news

The Tasmania Police Westpac rescue helicopter was activated to the Mount Anne Track Southwest to search for two missing walkers but forced back due to bad weather and a technical issue. We are told Police are organising a ground search and rescue party and possibly another aircraft.

[Tazz81]

I hope they are located safe and well. But they shouldn’t have been there in the first place. The track is closed and now through their selfish actions the lives of the rescuers are also now at risk.

[ILUVSWTAS]

While I generally agree with you taz81 I'll offer an alternative thought. People worldwide are capable and experienced enough to bushwalk in adverse conditions. How do we know these guys wernt? It's likely they were just going up to the hut for a night in some fun weather.
At the risk of being torn to shreds by the internet experts I'll also say the track being closed has nothing to do with it. Alot and I mean alot of people are sick of waiting for parks to replace a few burnt bits of duckboarding while the last 2 years they pour time and money into building new car parks and lookouts like at Cockle creek, wine glass bay and not to mention the mansions at dove lake.

[Tazz81]

I agree with your point there - anywhere that doesn’t have the potential to raise revenue in the future has been essentially ignored. That being said the tracks are also closed because they are unsafe. The section of the circuit from the road to lake Judd the regrowth could possibly have covered the track by now?

[ILUVSWTAS]

So here's another question. The track is closed but not the area. Could I walk off track (say within 20m of the track) up the open spur to the plateau?

[Azza]

I can't remember if there was a closed sign last time I went past, but I can't see why the NE Ridge route would be shut.
They don't maintain that track anyway and it gives access to the plateau without crossing any of the damaged tracks.

[ILUVSWTAS]

I can't remember if there was a closed sign last time I went past, but I can't see why the NE Ridge route would be shut.
They don't maintain that track anyway and it gives access to the plateau without crossing any of the damaged tracks.

It is shut.
There's a big sign at the start of the track which is a bit crazy itself as unless you know where the track is you wouldn't know it was there. Now hundreds at least know where it starts.

[north-north-west]

There is barrier tape as well as track closed signs at all three trackheads. The start of the Sandfly Creek track is so badly overgrown the tape is the only way you can tell it used to be there.

[daznkez]

I returned from a three day backcountry trip to the Schnells ridge area yesterday.
Parks had a team and a chopper operating out from Red Tape Creek
I came down and and said hello and to see what they were up to
I was accosted by an disgruntled ranger who took my details for prosecution
I was told that "the whole area" is closed; that being on Schnells was not an adequate excuse for the fact that I still crossed the lake Judd track. I was told that it is not appropriate to be in these wilderness areas in winter alone due to risk.
I did request that Parks remove the plastic rubbish strung up over the entrances to Condominium and Red Tape tracks and commended them on their actually starting a duckboard repair
So in 20 years of winter visits to this area this was a bit of a first and my meetings with public land managers have begun to resemble encounters with the police.
The range was stunning and not to be missed

[north-north-west]

So, you deliberately ignore all the closure warnings and get lippy with the TasPAWS crew whose work you've made harder and think they''re at fault? What did you expect - red carpet treatment?

[headwerkn]

A couple from yesterday.

The first one was around 3:00pm an EPIRB was detected by AUSAR the location was at the southern end of Lake Burbury (near Queenstown). A 33 year old male bushwalker planning to walk to the Fincham Hut on the Fincham Track lost his mobile phone which held his maps of the area. The Westpac Emergency Rescue Helicopter was deployed to the area, the male was located and extracted from the area by the helicopter. The male was not injured and was transported to Hobart.

.

Has anyone been out this way? My understanding is the track to fincham's would be very much non existent at this point. I would anticipate it to be a very long scrub bash. Although if he was picked up from the southern end of burbury maybe he didn't get very far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1I1F3I5DIc

Video from the rescued guy in question. Yeah, not much a track. At all

[Azza]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1I1F3I5DIc

Video from the rescued guy in question. Yeah, not much a track. At all

Whatever time of year, Its not a day walk that is for sure...

12km effectively off track in valley scrub at least a full day each way with a strong walking party.

I actually think the northern route over the Raglans and around Mt Maud is the more do-able option.
Large sections of that road are still quite clear and its easy walking over the Raglans, the last section can still be seen in aerial photos.