https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/ ... /104114636
Interview starts about 4 minutes in, but I've run the audio through an transcription AI just to make it a bit easier. I've highlighted the bits about Chockstone, etc.
LUCY BREADEN: You've probably heard the news by now if you've been listening to the ABC, but the bushwalker who went missing in the Eastern Arthur Range in Tasmania's southwest has died.
Police found his body this morning.
It was near Federation Peak.
So let's get the latest with Inspector Colin Reily from Tasmania Police in the Kingston division who's been leading this search.
Thanks for your time today, Colin REILY.
COLIN REILY: Good afternoon, Lucy.
LUCY BREADEN: Really sad news to hear about this today.
What do we know about this man's disappearance and what happened today?
COLIN REILY: A 27-year-old who was quite an experienced bushwalker.
He set out on the 72-kilometre trek on the Eastern Arthur Traverse.
He was seen on a camera last Thursday, so we actually saw him in his tent which gave us a position on the track.
And the last text message went out on Friday morning.
So he was meant to return Saturday, Sunday.
He didn't.
The alarm was raised on Monday.
And then we conducted a search operation and he was found this morning at 10am.
So in relation to retrieval, it is going to take us some time because we've got very significant strong winds, we've got some bad weather and we've got to balance the safety of the emergency service personnel.
So at this point we're looking to rope down, then to rope up the walker, and then get the walker to a safe place where the helicopter can do a winch.
So more than likely at this stage that'll be on Sunday.
LUCY BREADEN: Okay, so that will take quite some time, the next, possibly the next week at least.
COLIN REILY: So in essence tomorrow is about pre-positioning all our ropes, getting all our gear and personnel in the right location.
Then on Friday we'll sit tight because the weather's quite poor.
And then on Sunday we will then go through the whole helicopter extraction.
LUCY BREADEN: And how many people do you think you'll need for that retrieval effort?
COLIN REILY:Well the search itself, we had five teams in total and we're going to have to duplicate that for the retrieval.
So we're bringing in not only police, SES, wilderness paramedics, but we're also bringing in some professional rock climbers as well.
So we're trying to get the best team possible.
And that tomorrow is about constituting that team and pre-positioning.
LUCY BREADEN: And how are they feeling about the rescue effort given the weather isn't looking to crash hot?
COLIN REILY: We always balance the safety verse of what we're trying to achieve and nothing is done that's going to risk any of our searches.
So it's a very pragmatic approach.
And Sunday is the first opportunity where we'll be able to get that helicopter in where we're not experiencing 80 to 100 kilometre per hour gusts of winds, which we just can't do the retrieval with those sorts of winds in the helicopter.
LUCY BREADEN: Oh no. So what does Sunday's weather look like?
COLIN REILY: Well of all the days, it is the first opportunity.
So we should see a decrease in the winds, so hopefully down around 30 to 40 kilometre per hour winds.
And it will just give us the clarity because what we're doing is actually quite difficult to do this retrieval.
And then to winch, we've actually got to secure the helicopter line to the ground and then winch out.
So the best day is Sunday.
But it would certainly be if the weather deteriorates, we'll have to put it off again.
LUCY BREADEN: Inspector Colin Reily is my guest from Tasmania Police, who's been heavily involved in the search for this missing bushwalker who was found this morning.
He was in the Eastern Arthur Range Traverse in Tasmania's South West.
We know that he has died.
What do we know about his death?
What do we know that led to it?
COLIN REILY: Well, some of the issues, obviously walking the Eastern Arthur Range by himself.
I do note that last year he did do the Western Arthur Range, so he's an experienced bushwalker.
All we know is that when he was located, it was at a very steep, the base, a very steep face.
There's a place called Chockstone Gully.
Anyone who's walked Federation Peak will know it.
So for some reason, he slipped or fallen, and we were lucky that we saw some gloves, a beanie and a backpack cover, which we then concentrated on, which then led to finding the walker, which was a blessing, to be honest with you.
LUCY BREADEN: Otherwise, what were the chances of finding him?
COLIN REILY: So the walk, the techniques we used, we obviously used the helicopter backwards and forwards along the trail.
We used walkers from either end, but Tasmania environment is so rugged that if you go three, five, six metres off the track, it is very, very hard to locate a missing walker.
I suppose in this particular case, there was a bit of luck, and also where the walker was, was exposed, so it could be seen by the searchers, which was fantastic.
LUCY BREADEN: And what was the weather like?
What has it been like there over the past few days?
COLIN REILY: The main problem has been the wind.
There's just been very elevated gusts, which just caused problems and stability for searchers on very steep terrain, let alone the helicopter.
The helicopter's only been able to fly very limited hours, but the warmth has been there, but it's just been wet and windy has been the main two problems.
LUCY BREADEN: It's almost a quarter past four.
Lucy Braden with you on Drive, 936 ABC Radio Hobart, and this is Inspector Colin Riley from the Kingston Division.
We are talking about the bushwalker that went missing, and police have, and search and rescue crews, found his body today.
This man, he was a 27-year-old, is that right, living in Melbourne at the time?
COLIN REILY: Yeah, so the walker's a 27-year-old male from Melbourne, and he comes down here to do, this is his second walk in the state.
His brother's from Melbourne, and his partner was down here as well.
So, look, he is an experienced bushwalker.
We like walkers to carry personal location beacons or sat phones, and we'd like walkers not to walk alone.
But obviously, you can't eliminate every risk.
In this particular case, it just might have been a chance accident or something occurred.
LUCY BREADEN: I mean, could the EPIRB have helped him in any way?
COLIN REILY: Well, and this is the case.
If you look at this specific case, a person who's fallen is probably unlikely to activate an EPIRB, but there's a whole lot of, you know, someone could get a twig in their eye, or they could damage a knee, or they could twist something that prohibits them from walking, and an EPIRB would be ideal to just let people know where you are.
But, you know, this young man, 27 years old, it's a sad set of circumstances, but he was actually doing what he loved, and he was out there in the wilderness, and it's a very beautiful place out there.
LUCY BREADEN: It is, and so many of us love hiking alone as well.
I mean, is it best not to walk alone, or do you just try and be as prepared as possible?
COLIN REILY: Always be prepared, and Tasmania's climate just changes so rapidly, and anyone who does bushwalking, and I do as well, you know, you've just got to be prepared for the worst-case circumstance.
You know, little PLBs, they're very cheap.
You can get away for a $230 one, which allows you to use a satellite to text message as well as send emergency signals, so Tasmania's just got some really rugged terrain, and it's quite easy to become disorientated, and ultimately it's quite easy to become lost, and then it makes it very hard for emergency service personnel to locate you, yeah.
LUCY BREADEN: And his family, they've been alerted?
COLIN REILY: Yes, I did spend some time with the family this morning.
They're obviously devastated, but they take some solace from the fact that the walker was doing what he loved and in a place that he loved, so that was very positive for them.
LUCY BREADEN: Yeah, it's just a devastating story.
Inspector, thank you so much for talking to us about this today, and best of luck over the coming days.
No doubt we'll speak to you again about the recovery.
COLIN REILY: Thank you, Lucy.
LUCY BREADEN: Inspector Colin Riley there from Tasmania Police with the Kingston Division.
He's leading the search and the recovery for the man who went missing, the bush walker, the 27-year-old from Melbourne.
He was doing his second hike here in the state.
He'd previously done the Western Arthur Range, and now he was doing the Eastern Arthur Range Traverse.
He was alone, and his body has been found.
It's absolutely devastating.
