Inspector Andrew Woods: “The conditions were pretty bad … There was a lot of snowfall … it made the visibility very poor,” said. Photo: Police Media.
NSW Police and SES are sending a public message after two hikers were rescued in challenging conditions over the weekend near Mt Kosciuszko.
Acting Inspector Andrew Woods of Monaro Police Area Command and Inspector Malika Bailey addressed the incident outside the Queanbeyan police station on Tuesday (10 June).
Inspector Wood said to always check the weather before heading out as it can change quickly in the mountains.
“The conditions were pretty bad, to be honest. High winds, snow was fine, there was a lot of snowfall … and with the strong winds behind them, it made the visibility very poor,” he said.
Acting Inspector Woods revealed the hikers who were rescued near Mt Kociuszko signalled emergency services using an app on their phone.
The 28-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man were stranded for 17 hours in extreme conditions on Saturday after the pair went hiking on the Kosciuszko main range walking trail close to Mt Kosciusko.
Inspector Wood cautioned that although they were able to use the app to help locate them, it isn’t as reliable as an emergency locator beacon.
Asked how people should approach backcountry travel, he said there are simple precautions to take.
“The message is one we’ve been pushing for some time now: be prepared, fill out a trip intention form, take a personal locator beacon, which is available for free from National Park and Wildlife offices in Jindabyne and Perisher and don’t travel alone,” he said.
The pair were trapped for around 20 hours before search parties from NSW police and State Emergency Services reached them. Emergency services had to turn back due to extreme weather conditions.
Inspector Woods contradicted some earlier reports that the pair were unprepared.
“They had reasonable equipment, they had food, water and sleeping bags. The tent they had was of good quality. They were sufficient to survive for some time until emergency services got to them,” he said.
But he did say that it was a learning experience, and a reminder to everyone to go prepared.
“Hopefully they’ve learnt more than we have,” he said.
Emergency services say the extreme change in weather is a strong reminder to the public.
Temperatures recorded at the Thredbo Top Station hit a low of -4 degrees during the pair’s ordeal, but wind gusts over 100 km/h meant temperatures felt below -20 overnight in the area, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Be prepared: fill out a trip intention form and take a personal locator beacon. Photo: NSW Police.
National Parks maintains two emergency shelters in the park and the pair were less than 5 km from either. The closest Seaman’s Hut is kept stocked with firewood for such emergencies.
The pair was found about 2 km from where Hadi Nazari was rescued late last year after being stranded in the park for three weeks.
“Hopefully they’ve learnt more than we have,” Acting Inspector Aiden Wood said. Photo: NSW Police
Emergency services cautioned that conditions are always unpredictable in the mountains and that situations can quickly turn dangerous and life-threatening.
Over a dozen people needed assistance over the weekend across the Australian Alps. Two more hikers were rescued in Victoria on Sunday at Wonnangatta around midday on Monday.
Thirteen people were provided police assistance at Mt Hotham after 32 centimetres of snowfall in 24 hours, leaving some cars without chains stranded
Police and National Parks reminded motorists that chains must be carried in parks by non-four-wheel-drive vehicles and fines are in place for not carrying chains or fitting them when required.
