In short:
Two adults and a nine-year-old boy have been rescued after 36 hours stranded in Tasmania’s Walls Of Jerusalem National Park, where the “feels like” temperatures have been as low as -8.8 degrees Celsius.
The boy, who developed hypothermia, received treatment from rescuers who arrived on foot after attempts to dispatch the rescue helicopter were thwarted by bad weather.
What’s next?
The family has been taken to hospital as a precaution, with police describing the incident as a “close call which could have ended tragically”.
A family of three stranded in Tasmania’s Walls of Jerusalem National Park for 36 hours has been airlifted to safety, with police describing the incident as a “close call which could have ended tragically”.
Poor weather conditions that hampered earlier evacuation efforts finally lifted on Tuesday, allowing the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to reach them at 9:30am.
Inspector Michael Johnston of Tasmania Police said the family, two adults and a nine-year-old child, activated their personal locator beacon to call for help about 4:30pm on Sunday.
“I don’t think they were lost. I think the weather closed in on them more than that, which prevented them continuing,” Inspector Johnston told ABC Mornings on Tuesday.
“The adults were OK. The child was clearly suffering the effects of hypothermia. It was a close call and this could have ended tragically.”
The family, who are understood to be from Launceston, were taken to the Launceston General Hospital for a check-up.
Inspector Johnston said the family’s locator beacon (PLB) was “absolutely critical” to their survival.
“The PLB gives you some basic information. The rest of the information we obtained, we managed to get by a text message from the party there.
“So we knew who was there, a rough idea of their conditions they’d encountered, and the condition they were in.”
Worsening weather conditions meant the helicopter could not be used so an eight-strong ground crew of paramedics, SES, and police officers made the 5-hour trek instead.
“They’re highly skilled, highly trained, and I guess the appropriate people to put in that environment at that time,” Inspector Johnston said.
“They set up camp — they took tents with them, tents, clothing, food. They were able to get themselves into position where the child was able to receive medical attention and improve significantly over that time. But they were well equipped to stay as long as they needed to stay.”
That poor weather hung around through Monday, and into Tuesday, meaning the search party spent 36 hours in the wildest of Tasmanian Winter conditions.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, it was -0.1 degrees Celsius in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park at 4:30pm on Sunday. The “feels-like” temperature of -8.8C.
Inspector Johnston warned that despite the resources and expertise of emergency services personnel, there were times where “the weather defeats us, and we can’t get to people”.
“The second walking party we sent in yesterday with additional clothing and food was unable to reach the group last night.
“They were pulled up short by a flooded river, about a kilometre away from them,” he said.
Information about the park describes it as a “majestic place in the heart of an alpine wilderness” and adds: “Walkers should come prepared, as the weather can shift from one hour to the next.”
Police warn weather ‘can defeat’ rescue attempts
Inspector Johnston warned others contemplating going into Tasmania’s wilderness during the colder months that in some cases rescues could not be carried out due to the weather.
“We will be reiterating our warnings and advice for people going walking into some very beautiful parts of Tasmania … and I get the attraction in being there, but the weather has been our enemy over the last few days,” he said.
“Despite the expertise of our people, their training and equipment, and the fact we have helicopter resources we can draw from, there are times when the weather defeats us and we cannot get to people.
“Plan your trip, be cognisant of the weather and understand the weather in that part of Tasmania can change very, very quickly.”
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