Helicopter Rescues in Tasmania

[stepbystep]

Last Rescue for the weekend

The most recently rescued person was a 46-year-old woman who was walking towards Lune River when she was separated from her son and was unable to find the track.

Her son raised the alarm and she was located by the police rescue helicopter a short time later.

Oh and that was a friend of mine! If I get her permission I'll let y'all know what went wrong...

[icefest]

Something like it would be nice. See attached file.

The problem is that the river looks like this:


Also both sides of the bank are not elevated but rather floodplain that is often 3m underwater. During a flood there may be 2m wide trees floating downstream, which would wipe out any smallish bridge.

A bridge could be built in the gorge but that would require a recutting of the old Rasselas track (or a reopening of the Bombadier track). Both are nicely revegetating.

It'd be cheaper putting up a Backcountry gourmet vending machine and a satellite payphone and making people wait it out.

[Scottyk]

Construction of a bridge means many many more people could potentially access an extremely sensitive area which is already frightfully overpatronised.

The problem isn't the crossing. The problem is that people are going in unprepared for the scenario they might be faced with on their way out.

yep
When I go for walk I study the forecast at length and see how it might effect the walk I am doing. This is a basic part of being a competent walker.

[Overlandman]

Another one From ABC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-20/m ... ection=tas

Three bushwalkers have been rescued by emergency crews in the fourth rescue operation in Tasmania's south-west in three days.

The three tourists from New South Wales were approaching the end of a 10-day walk from Lake Gordon when their path was blocked by a swollen creek.

Record rainfall from the previous week had made conditions treacherous.

The group's rescue takes the number of people rescued by the police rescue helicopter in the past three days to eight.

[Overlandman]

From the Sunday Examiner,
Not the best reporting , left the words as they were written
A female bushwalker who injured her ankle was retrieved from the Freycinet Peninsula by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter last night. The service was tasked at 6.30pm yesterday to help the woman from Hazards Beach. She was treated at the scene before being winched from the rocks and flown to Hobart.

[north-north-west]

If I thought the chopper would have had a chance of finding me Sunday arvo I may well have been added to that list.

[geoskid]

If I thought the chopper would have had a chance of finding me Sunday arvo I may well have been added to that list.

Did you get yourself into a bit of a pickle NNW?

[north-north-west]

I coped with the fog. With the scrub. With the rain. With the thicker scrub. With the descent (into hellishly thick scrub). With the hail. With the climb back up the other side (through even worse scrub). But when I was still over my head in that stuff and the wind was picking up and the rain and hail turned into thick snow and I was saturated and exhausted and half frozen and there just wasn't anywhere I could pitch the tent . . .

Well, I found somewhere before my strength ran out. But it's a good thing I didn't have to go on for another fifteen minutes.

[samh]

Where did you go NNW. was out in the south west and had similar weather, hence abandoned the rest of my trip on Sunday morning. Hearing what you are saying I'm glad I did

[north-north-west]

King William Range. I was returning to the northern plateau from the southern on that Sunday. Had hoped to make it to Odo Tarn but stopped about half a km short, and then spent most of Monday drying out my clothing. Probably should have stayed put that Sunday but it didn't really feel that bad in the morning, just cool and breezy.

[tigercat]

A bit of an adventure nnw!

[Overlandman]

A couple from the Mercury today,
The 2nd one mentions bushwalking.

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasma ... 7203910874

FIVE adults and a one-year-old child had to be rescued by helicopter this morning after their four-wheel drive vehicle became bogged in the Snug Tiers area.

At 8.30pm yesterday Tasmania Police Search and Rescue received a call for help from the group from Glenorchy, who had decided to walk to get help, but had become lost in rainforest as darkness fell.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter located the people about 1km north-west of Snug Falls but due to low cloud and poor weather was unable to winch them out.

A ground crew reached the group at about 1am this morning, but the group was cold, wet, exhausted and unable to walk.

The helicopter returned at first light and winched out all six people, including the infant.

All were flown to Snug uninjured but checked over by Ambulance Tasmania paramedics.

Tasmania Police are advising people in similar circumstances requiring assistance to not leave their vehicles.

Meanwhile, two lost bushwalkers were returned home safe and sound this morning after a night in the Margate bush.

Tasmania Police located the local bushwalkers after several hours of searching overnight with the Westpac Rescue helicopter.

The pair was found safe and well and returned home in the early hours of this morning.

[Overlandman]

From today's Advocate
A Victorian man was airlifted by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter yesterday after suffering a medical condition on a section of the States Overland Track. The 76 year old man was at Pelion Gap and part of a commercial tour group, he was unable to continue the walk after falling ill. The group notified the emergency services & the Helicopter was soon dispatched. An ambulance paramedic treated the man at the scene, he was then airlifted to Hobart Hospital in a satisfactory condition.
Last month the Rescue Helicopter attended six different bushwalking incidents in one week. Rescues included Moonlight Ridge, Gordon,Federation Peak, Frogs Flats, Pine Valley & the South Coast Track.

[Overlandman]

From today's Advocate
A 35 year old Hobart man was airlifted from the Cradle Mountain National Park yesterday afternoon after he suffered a knee injury. The man was winched from Reynolds Falls area & flown to Cradle Valley, where he received medical assistance.

[Overlandman]

A woman was rescued from the Eldon Range yesterday, after injuring an ankle, she was flown to Derwent Bridge in a stable condition.
Regards Overlandman

edit, the incorrect detail was possibly my mistake.
The news item came from LA FM 8.30am radio news..
I searched all other news sites & found no further information.
Very disappointed that there are no photos N N W
Hope your on the mend soon, Regards Overlandman

Last edited by Overlandman on Mon 23 Mar, 2015 2:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[north-north-west]

A woman was rescued from the Eldon Range yesterday, after injuring an ankle, she was flown to Derwent Bridge in a stable condition.
Regards Overlandman

Gee, they skimped the detail on this one, didn't they? It's usually along the lines of '57 year old Tasmanian woman. blah blah blah'. Although there is one incorrect detail in there . . .

Anyone privy to my plans for this period will have guessed I'm the guilty party. After an easy lakeside walk (we couldn't scare up a boat), an exhausting climb over Eldon Peak, a day spent sheltering in our (not entirely stormproof) tents just below the summit, a late departure and even later arrival at a rough campsite along the ridge with at least one of the three suffering from hypothermia, a glorious sunny day to finish the ridge traverse and reach the Crag base camp and a successful climb of said Crag, one of the party was careless enough to fall and land on a dodgy knee during the descent to the ridge leading to Eldon Bluff. No biggy, but further along this same gormless git got the same foot caught in amongst a tangle of scrub and came down with the knee bent badly under her (and under the full load of the pack). Two minutes later, she finally got the leg straightened out. With a great deal of swearing.

By the time we reached the pack drop point for Eldon Bluff, I knew I was in serious trouble. By the time we reached the summit, I'd decided to call the chopper once we were back at our gear. I was persuaded (and babied along) down to the Dome Hill basecamp, which took twice as long as it should have. It then took three hours for SAR to get there, probably through being unable to contact anyone to confirm our intentions or the severity of the problem. So my free ride was in the dark.

Now, this wasn't a major injury. It certainly wasn't, in itself, life-threatening. There was just the minor issue of that knee not being up to carrying a pack for at least two weeks and probably more. The only alternative to the chopper was all three of us dumping every non-essential item we had, with Martin and Joe carrying all the gear and me hobbling along as best I could - which was hardly fair on them and even then there were no guarantees we'd make it out by our due date, especially given the weather forecasts. So the chopper it was.
No serious walker wants to trigger their beacon, but it was the only practical solution.

All around, one simple fall created a fair bit of nuisance for too many people. The four-manperson chopper crew (the paramedic was female. and I reckon most blokes wouldn't mind getting hurt to have her taking care of them ) who got me out and into Derwent Bridge, the LSC Ranger who ferried me to King William Saddle, and the Queenstown copper who drove me the rest of the way to my car.

To Tassie's SAR crew: Thank you, so very much. It's a wonderful service you provide and you're all great people. Special thanks to the bloke in charge of the crew who not only organised accommodation for me in Queenstown as an alternative to sleeping in the car, but let me play with his night-vision goggles. I soooo want a pair of these for night walking . . .

[Scottyk]

Glad your out NNW and able to fight another day.
The middle of the Eldon Range doesn't sound a good place to have an injured leg so as you say it looks like it was the only sensible thing to do. It could have turned into a life threatening situation if you had tried to walk out after ditching gear.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

A fatal fall from Mt Ossa yesterday. Terrible news.

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-2 ... st/6340808

[north-north-west]

Glad your out NNW and able to fight another day.
The middle of the Eldon Range doesn't sound a good place to have an injured leg so as you say it looks like it was the only sensible thing to do. It could have turned into a life threatening situation if you had tried to walk out after ditching gear.

Given the weather out there today, I'm kind of glad I got out early. I just hope Martin and Joe are coping OK with the conditions, and make it out without any more hassles.

[Overlandman]

From the Mercury

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasma ... 7274122290

A WOMAN was rescued by helicopter from Eldon Bluff on the West Coast last night after injuring her knee.

At about 6.30pm, Australian Search Rescue in Canberra contacted Tasmania Police to advise them of a personal locator beacon activation in the mountain ranges.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter arrived at the location at about 8.30pm and located the 57-year-old Primrose Sands woman.

The helicopter was able to land and pick up the woman who was then flown to Derwent Bridge in a satisfactory condition.

[north-north-west]

Yep, they got that report pretty well right.
And a good thing I did set off the beacon that evening instead of waiting until the next morning to reassess my condition, 'cause apparently the current weather conditions have grounded the chopper . . .

[Strider]

I thought that might have been you NNW. How's the knee?

[north-north-west]

An interesting shape and colour. It'll keep me confined to quarters for a little while but I hope to be up and pack-carrying again for Easter.

A woman was rescued from the Eldon Range yesterday, after injuring an ankle, she was flown to Derwent Bridge in a stable condition.
Regards Overlandman

edit, the incorrect detail was possibly my mistake.
The news item came from LA FM 8.30am radio news..
I searched all other news sites & found no further information.
Very disappointed that there are no photos N N W
Hope your on the mend soon, Regards Overlandman

All my gear was packed in preparation for the ride out. Joe was busy with his camera all the way through the evacuation and when he finally gets out and gives me copies, I'll put a few up. They may be interesting. I hope there's a good one of the pilot, he was really cute.
I thought it would be a little bit presumptive - not to mention in rather bad taste - to whip out my dSLR and start taking detailed shots of the inside of the chopper during the ride, although it was really tempting. It's a seriously beautiful piece of machinery, and the in-flight procedures are fascinating.

[DanShell]

Glad to hear your ok NNW I hope the knee doesn't keep you out of action for too long. Its a shame you don't have a go pro, you could have had it running during the whole ordeal.

Is there a place we can see photos of your walks?

[north-north-west]

Actually, I do have a GoPro, but had installed the wrong battery before leaving - the flat one. I pulled it out earlier in the walk to use during the really bad weather and found myself with a useless piece of equipment.
(note to self: charge *&%$#! GoPro batteries!)

I am on FB, but I don't really tend to spread myself around befriending everyone on sight. There are albums there from some of the trips I've done over the past year and a few scattered shots from earlier, but that's about it. If you're really that interested I suppose I could put up a link or something . . .

[DanShell]

Actually, I do have a GoPro, but had installed the wrong battery before leaving - the flat one. I pulled it out earlier in the walk to use during the really bad weather and found myself with a useless piece of equipment.
(note to self: charge *&%$#! GoPro batteries!)

I am on FB, but I don't really tend to spread myself around befriending everyone on sight. There are albums there from some of the trips I've done over the past year and a few scattered shots from earlier, but that's about it. If you're really that interested I suppose I could put up a link or something . . .

Yes I am very interested. You walk into places Ill never get too. I have a Facebook rule not to be friends with people I am not actually friends with if you know what I mean. But we are 'virtual' friends, its kind of like having a friend you can walk away from when they annoy you. Post up a link, you will have dozens of new friends by weeks end

[DanShell]

As suspected, your photos are absolutely outstanding. You should be publishing those somewhere, well done.

Now your going to get 100's of friends requests........

[north-north-west]

Naaaah, I'm just a snapshot photographer with fancy gear and delusions of grandeur.

[icefest]

Naaaah, I'm just a snapshot photographer with fancy gear and delusions of grandeur.

Understatement of the year.... (snapshot, not the delusion - that's an outright lie)

[tibboh]

Glad you enjoyed the ride in the big yellow taxi as a consolation NNW.
There is no worse feeling than having to abort a walk due to injury, especially mid walk. Goals not achieved and extended recovery time are depressing to say the least.
A speedy recovery and return to the wild