Helicopter Rescues in Tasmania

[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

[Lophophaps]

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

Joni Mitchell's song Big yellow taxi refers to a police car. Was NNW arrested? One hopes not, but if so, deny everything, you did not do it, you were somewhere else.

[north-north-west]

Goals not achieved ...

This is the most depressing thing about it, oddly enough. If things had gone according to plan I'd be down to only 25 unclimbed Abels (24 if I'd been able to get out to Tramontane, unlikely though that was). Instead, I only bagged three of the nine I'd aimed at.
OK, it gives me a good excuse to go back, and at least I have done the really hard part of the range, but all that organisation and preparation down the tube . . .

Joni Mitchell's song Big yellow taxi refers to a police car. Was NNW arrested? One hopes not, but if so, deny everything, you did not do it, you were somewhere else.

Not arrested, but the stretch from King William Saddle to the Pigeon House carpark was in a police car. And really, that was a free taxi ride. Cops can be *&%$#! useful sometimes, as long as you don't get on their bad side.

[Overlandman]

Heard on the radio news that an 80 year old male set off his PLB & was winched off Mt Wellington by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter this morning after straying from the group he was with.

Found this today on the Mercury website

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasma ... 7286835222

A WALKER has been rescued from Mt Wellington after becoming disoriented.

Tasmania Police said an 80-year-old man was part of a large walking group when he left the track about 11am.

The walker activated his EPIRB which allowed police to know his exact location.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter was sent to the Tom Thumb area and winched the man from the area.

He was uninjured.

[Overlandman]

THE Westpac Rescue Helicopter was needed to help rescue three people yesterday.

About 11am yesterday, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter was sent to Dove Canyon, inside the Cradle Valley to assist in the rescue of an injured walker.

The 72-year-old man had been walking the Dove Canyon track when he slipped down an embankment and landed in the water.

He climbed from the water and was treated at the scene by members of his walking party.

Helicopter crew members winched the male from the canyon and he was was transported to the Launceston General Hospital for evaluation.

About 4pm yesterday, police were also alerted to a missing 12-year-old boy at Shipstern Bluff on the Tasman Peninsula.

The boy had been walking ahead of his family when he lost the track and continued to walk through the thick bushland.

His family remained in verbal contact with him and they advised police. Officers attended the area, but because of the terrain, they could not walk to the location of the child and required assistance from the helicopter.

The helicopter arrived at 7.30pm and a short time later located the child on a steep ledge.

Helicopter crew used night vision equipment to locate the child.

A rescue crewman was winched down to the area and located the boy, before he was flown to Hobart and later reunited with his family.

Not bushwalk related,
About 9:30pm, the chopper was again called to help Ambulance Tasmania rescue a quad bike rider on Sandy Cape Beach.

[Overlandman]

From the Mercury

A WALKER who became lost in thick bush has been evacuated from South Cape.

The 35-year-old, from Burnie, was retrieved by a crewman from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter at 11.30am after setting off a personal locator beacon near Soldier Bluff.

The man told his rescuers he had been walking the South Coast Track from Melaleuca to Cockle Creek but had lost the track in the South Cape Range.

Update from the Advocate

A BUSHWALKER from Burnie spent the best part of 24 hours lost in dense bushland in the state's South before being rescued yesterday.

The 35-year-old man activated his personal location beacon at 11.30am yesterday to notify authorities of his position.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked to retrieve the man on South Cape, near Soldier Bluff.

Tasmania Police Search and Rescue Constable Josh Peach said the man had flown in to Melaleuca with the hope of completing the South Coast track on his own.

"The man was just trying to complete the standard South Coast track when he became lost," Constable Peach said.

"From what he told us, he had become lost at 10am on Easter Monday and spent more than 24 hours trying to find his way back to the track.

"This morning, he came to the realisation that he was just walking in circles and let off his PLB."

A rescue crewman was winched to the location and retrieved the man. "The man was tired and covered in scratches as the bush is very thick down that way," Constable Peach said.

He said there was no specific time to activate a location beacon and it was up to the person as to when to notify authorities they were in trouble.

"It is up to the individual when they let off a beacon.

"This walker thought he could get himself back to the track and was prepared for the night."

[Overlandman]

From Southern Cross News
A 21 year old NSW male was rescued by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter after injuring his leg on Mt Ossa yesterday.
He was hit by a rock dislodged by a fellow walker, Police were contacted by a satellite phone. The helicopter hovered above the board walk whilst loading the injured walker, who was then flown to Cradle Valley in a stable condition.

[Overlandman]

From the Advocate
A MAN from Queenstown has been rescued after he became lost bushwalking on Mount Owen on the West Coast today.

The 22-year-old man from Queenstown became lost on his descent from the mountain and had to be winched from the site by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

The man initially made contact with police after he realised he had become lost and was speaking to them via his mobile phone until the battery went flat.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter flew to the site about 2.30am and searched the area for about 30 minutes before locating the man.

The crew used night vision goggles to search for the man and located him after he activated the flash on his camera.

He was winched from his location and taken to Strahan.

While travelling back to Hobart from Strahan the helicopter was tasked to attend Orford for a serious MVA involving a man from New Norfolk. He was treated at the scene, then flown to Hobart in a stable condition.

Update from ABC + Video

PLB Would have been handy & save a lot of time & money, great idea to use the camera flash.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-14/r ... ection=tas
A missing Tasmanian bushwalker has been winched to safety after being located by a rescue helicopter crew using night-vision goggles.

The 22-year-old man from Queenstown had become lost on his way down from Mount Owen on the state's west coast.

He contacted his family via SMS message before his mobile phone went flat.

He told them he had fallen and injured his leg after leaving the marked track but was unable to give his exact location.

Police were alerted about 8:00pm (AEST) and searched for several hours before the rescue helicopter was called in.

Rescuers used night-vision goggles for about 30 minutes and spotted him when he activated the flash on his camera.

He was stranded on a steep ledge and winched to safety about 2:30am.

The man was then flown to Strahan where he was treated for mild hypothermia.

His leg injury is not believed be serious.

[Overlandman]

Not sure if this will be a Helicopter Rescue but I will post it here as the Westpac Rescue Helicopter is on its way to the area.
According to 7LA News, Temperatures got down to 1 degree over night

From the Examiner
Police will continue to search this morning for a missing Japanese tourist at Cradle Mountain.

Police say that the woman went for a jog about 5pm yesterday and it is believed that she misread a sign.

Search parties, including local tour operators, are involved in the search and updates will be provided during the day.

Good outcome

UPDATE 9am: A 58-year-old woman has been found after she went missing on Cradle Mountain on Sunday night.

The Japanese tourist was part of a guided tour group that was staying at the Cradle Mountain Lodge.

She was last seen when she left her roommate to go for a run about 5pm.

She was reported missing about 8pm.

Police advised that she had been found and picked up by helicopter about 9am on Monday.

[gayet]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-27/japanese-tourist-found-after-night-lost-at-cradle-mountain/6423768

Found her this morning

Sorry didn't see the comment above.

[north-north-west]

The sequel to my story:
Back walking. First daywalks but did a four dayer recently with a good bit of cross country and boulder hopping. The knee is holding up.

And picked up the replacement PLB today (been sitting at the local PO for some ten days). GME came to the party big-time - no messing around with replacing batteries, they sent me a brand new unit still in its bright shiny box. Might keep the old pouch for the GPS or the little point-and-shoot camera I'll be using for a while.

[Tortoise]

The sequel to my story:
Back walking. First daywalks but did a four dayer recently with a good bit of cross country and boulder hopping. The knee is holding up.

Great news.

And picked up the replacement PLB today (been sitting at the local PO for some ten days). GME came to the party big-time - no messing around with replacing batteries, they sent me a brand new unit still in its bright shiny box.

That surprised me. Was that by some insurance, or do they offer a replacement if you have to use it??

[north-north-west]

If you have a legitimate activation - backed up by AMSA - the battery replacement is free. I think that's standard for most of them. But I thought I'd get the original unit back after a service with new batteries. Getting a completely new unit is brilliant.

Which reminds me: did I follow the right or the wrong set of cairns on Pelion West? There's a point where the obvious cairns go right and then jag left, whereas there is a slightly easier route keeping left further back. It was too foggy to be sure and in the end I gave up on cairns and just found my own way. But there were some rather scary moves in that, especially with the wet rock.

[Tortoise]

If you have a legitimate activation - backed up by AMSA - the battery replacement is free. I think that's standard for most of them. But I thought I'd get the original unit back after a service with new batteries. Getting a completely new unit is brilliant.

Wow, sure is! I thought you'd have to pay the $$$ for a new battery.

Which reminds me: did I follow the right or the wrong set of cairns on Pelion West? There's a point where the obvious cairns go right and then jag left, whereas there is a slightly easier route keeping left further back. It was too foggy to be sure and in the end I gave up on cairns and just found my own way. But there were some rather scary moves in that, especially with the wet rock.

Yep, we basically gave up on them too, and the kind gentleman who took us knows the mountain well. We saw at least 3 different sets, the left-most one disappearing into a bottomless pit at one point, which meant retracing to get to the other side of the said pit to the next apparent cairn - that belonged to a different set. None of us would have attempted PW in the wet, though.

[north-north-west]

Wow, sure is! I thought you'd have to pay the $$$ for a new battery.

It's good business when you think about it. Encourages people to carry the things.

Yep, we basically gave up on them too, and the kind gentleman who took us knows the mountain well. We saw at least 3 different sets, the left-most one disappearing into a bottomless pit at one point, which meant retracing to get to the other side of the said pit to the next apparent cairn - that belonged to a different set. None of us would have attempted PW in the wet, though.

I shouldn't have, I know. But I was there and so was the mountain and I was dumb enough to refuse to be beaten even if it was hairy enough to leave the camera behind to save it from the bottomless pits. Not that it was that bad. No wind and not really even raining, just thick fog. So I still have to go back for the view. But the points are nice to have. Just need one more for the magical 450. Time to have a go at Faulkner or Lloyd or Tanina or the other Brown or something exciting like that . . .

[Overlandman]

From the Mercury
A MAN who dislocated his shoulder has been air-lifted from the Freycinet Peninsula, south of Wineglass Bay.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter flew in to collect the injured bush walker about 3pm.

The 44-year-old Hobart man had been walking on the track when he slipped and dislocated his shoulder.

His walking partner preformed first aid and notified emergency services by mobile phone.

The helicopter flew to the location and winched a paramedic rescue crew into the scene.

The injured walker was treated and the pair were then winched back into the helicopter and flown to Hobart. The man is in a satisfactory condition.

[Overlandman]

From the Mercury
A CLIMBER is recovering after being winched to safety in freezing conditions from Stacks Bluff in the Ben Lomond National Park.

Tasmania Police said the Westpac Rescue helicopter was called about 11.30am yesterday after the climber fell about 5m in an area of steep scree beneath the cliff line.

“The weather in the area was freezing conditions with low cloud, which delayed the helicopter accessing the area,” police said in a statement issued late last night.

“Police rescue, SES and an ambulance paramedic were tasked to the area to walk in.

“Eventually after a couple of hours the helicopter was able to deploy a Police rescue crew and ambulance paramedic to the scene.”


The chopper was able to fly into the area just before last light, with the injured climber winched out and taken to Hobart for treatment.

[Overlandman]

From ABC
Not bushwalking, but still reascued.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-04/p ... er/6672058

Emergency workers have launched another rescue operation for people stranded in heavy snow, this time for 10 people snowed in at Lake Dobson in Mount Field National Park, about 75 kilometres north-west of Hobart.

The nine adults and one child were flown to safety by the rescue helicopter.

They had been stranded since Sunday due to large amounts of snowfall in past few days.

Police said all of those rescued were in good condition and spirits.

The latest rescue comes after an earlier rescue in Mount Field when two snowboarders were stranded in their car for nearly 24 hours.

An attempt to rescue them earlier on Monday by helicopter was abandoned because of poor weather.

Police and emergency services have been kept busy with snow related emergencies.

Tasmania Police Inspector John Ward said drivers and pedestrians needed to take care with more snow forecast in coming days.

"If you don't need to go to a particular area, a remote area, where access is going to be difficult for police or rescue services to assist you then don't go," he said.

On Monday officers dealt with a total of 35 minor crashes in Hobart.

"The majority of those crashes I think you could attribute the causative factor to the rain, black ice and snow on the road [and] people not driving to the conditions," Inspector Ward said.
State economy and productivity 'reduced because of snow'

Police were not the only ones who were under pressure because of the snow.

Tasmania's Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been inundated with members wanting to know what to do with staff unable to reach the office.

The chamber's CEO Michael Bailey said business generally had to foot the bill for staff unable to get to work.

"It's a workplace health and safety issue if someone can't make it to work because it's unsafe and so that day essentially ceases to be," he said.

"It's not an annual leave day, it's not a personal leave day, it's just a day where the person was able to work but couldn't make it."

He said members would be surveyed to see exactly how big an economic impact the snow had had.

"No doubt there was an impact on the Tasmanian economy and the productivity of the state was certainly reduced yesterday because of the snow," he said.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast more snow for Wednesday although it is unlikely to reach the beaches like it did on Monday.

Forecasters expect snow to fall 100 metres above sea level.

Police warned roads that were blocked on Monday may be blocked again.

[stepbystep]

Some pretty cool vision of a walker being rescued from Kia Ora on tonight's ABC news, it'll be 9-10 mins into the bulletin.

Walker was fine but stranded due to deep powder. Snow shoes hopeless....

[Overlandman]

In addition to stepbysteps post

From ABC
Hobart man rescued after four days trapped by snow in hut on Overland Track
Tasmania's rescue helicopter lands in snow on the Overland Track.

A Hobart man has been rescued by the police helicopter after he became stranded on the Overland Track in Tasmania's Central Highlands.

Police say the 44-year-old bushwalker had tried to make his own way out several times from the Kia Ora hut but deep snow made it impossible.

After four days, with snow reaching chest height and food running out, the man activated his emergency beacon.

The rescue helicopter crew found him at the hut about 12:00pm and flew him to Hobart.

Sergeant Michael Preshaw said the weather conditions made it tough for rescuers.

"If they had've been any worse, we probably wouldn't have been able to get in there, but we managed to sneak in between a couple of weather patterns and got in and got out," he said.

"It was marginal but any worse and we wouldn't have been able to do it."

The man is recuperating in the Royal Hobart Hospital and is said to be in good condition.

It is the third snow rescue in Tasmania since a cold snap hit the state on Monday.

On Tuesday, 10 people were flown to safety after becoming trapped at Lake Dobson at Mount Field in the state's south.

Two men stranded for 24 hours in their sports car had to be rescued from the same area on Monday

[icefest]

Some pretty cool vision of a walker being rescued from Kia Ora on tonight's ABC news, it'll be 9-10 mins into the bulletin.

Walker was fine but stranded due to deep powder. Snow shoes hopeless....

nice video here:
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/nationa ... 7471575018

[north-north-west]

Cool footage. Is it wrong of me to giggle so much at the sight of the cops floundering around in hip deep snowdrifts?

[stepbystep]

That's why I put that footage in *snigger*

[Travis22]

Couldnt have picked a more beautiful place to get stranded. Thanks for the link!

Travis.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

Would certainly be a great place to be stuck for a few days.

He/she is quite lucky they managed to get the helicopter in there with the potential for aircraft icing in those conditions.

Glad everyone is safe and sound. It's quite an expense to the taxpayer because someone didn't want to or think to carry snow shoes.

Perhaps snow shoes should be mandatory in the winter walking season on the OLT? The $200 track fee you save could easily pay for some snow shoes.

[Strider]

Would certainly be a great place to be stuck for a few days.

He/she is quite lucky they managed to get the helicopter in there with the potential for aircraft icing in those conditions.

Glad everyone is safe and sound. It's quite an expense to the taxpayer because someone didn't want to or think to carry snow shoes.

Perhaps snow shoes should be mandatory in the winter walking season on the OLT? The $200 track fee you save could easily pay for some snow shoes.

The article says he had snow shoes but they were ineffective in 1m deep powder.

The man, who had snow shoes, told his rescuers that he was unable to move through the metre-plus deep snow.

[bumpingbill]

It's quite an expense to the taxpayer because someone didn't want to or think to carry snow shoes.

The article specifically says he had snow shoes. The authorities also have zero problems with what happened.

Sergeant Preshaw said the bushwalker made the right call to use his Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB).

"It was a fair battle just to get from the helipad to the hut, normally there's some duckboards but you couldn't even see those. It was quite difficult," he said.

"It could have been quite serious, he actually tried to get out three or four times but the snow was that deep he couldn't get out."

Also, with that much snow surely it's safer to be picked up at a hut with a dedicated heli-spot, rather than attempting to battle through 2-3 days of snow and getting stuck/lost out on the track?

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

My sincerest apologies, I didn't see that in the article.

Good advertisement for carrying lots of spare food in winter conditions. I could imagine long periods of up to a week where a chopper wouldn't be able to get in there.

[corvus]

Cool footage. Is it wrong of me to giggle so much at the sight of the cops floundering around in hip deep snowdrifts?

Were they not PARAMEDICS doing their job what is there to giggle about nnw, shame on you for you hilarity about people doing an excellent job,could you have done better?

[wildlight]

Not so much a reply, but a question related to this topic.

Regarding helicopter rescues- what happens with your pack, say if they have to winch you out from somewhere? Is there a defined protocol or procedure- can you push things into your coat, like camera, lenses- would they winch your pack up first, (priorities!) and you second or does the rescue man on the ground put your pack on and come up into the chopper with it- what happens there?

I realise human life takes priority (unless they don't like you- and fancy your gear!). But seriously- what can you take "out" with you, and what do they request / insist you leave behind? Sad if you get out of hospital and all your keys are back in some remote gorge.

Any first hand accounts from people? Let's see if there's a consistent pattern…

Cheers
WildLight