A 42-year-old woman and 22-year-old man have been rescued after getting lost while hiking in Namadgi National Park yesterday (Friday 7 June) afternoon.
About 1pm the pair left their vehicle after driving through Piccadilly Circus onto a dirt road, and walked into the forest. They had been hiking for approximately three hours before realising they were lost, and contacting ACT Policing.
A search for the hikers commenced, involving members from Woden patrol, Rural patrol, the Specialist Response Group and NSW Police. The hikers were able to give police a vague description of their whereabouts via mobile phone. However attempts to triangulate an exact position were unsuccessful.
As night fell, temperatures reached -3 degrees Celsius. A rescue helicopter with infra-red technology was brought in from Sydney to assist with the search. About 2am the hikers were located, and airlifted to The Canberra Hospital as a precautionary measure.
Acting Superintendent Steven Hogarth believes the hikers were extremely lucky to escape serious injury.
“At this time of year temperatures can plummet extremely quickly. Unprepared hikers run an enormous risk of serious injury or death when exposed to these elements”, Acting Superintendent Hogarth said.
“These two people are very fortunate to have been found so quickly in such a large area. Our members, with the assistance of NSW Police and the rescue helicopter did an outstanding job to rescue them safely”, he said.
When preparing for a bushwalk, always tell friends or family of your plans. Keep enough food and water with you, as well as clothing suitable for all conditions. Keep a fully charged mobile phone with you in case you get lost.
Prospect of jail doesn't deter people from committing crimes, former inmate says
The assumption that all prisoners can be rehabilitated is the issue. This simply isnt the case, and… View
Jack, am I crazy or do I feel they’d be easy to pin down? In order to receive a Centrelink payment… View
If only it was that easy Sam Oak! People with mental illness are hard to pin down, they are… View
There’s a lot to like about the Raiders youth brigade
So far, I reckon they're showing 50/50 signs of being the same or different to teams in the recent… View
Kingston pop-up cycleway trial aims to better protect cyclists pedalling on our roads
Car-centric transport policy and infrastructure is the most egregious waste of money I am aware of View
Bike riders in particular (and active transport users in general) already pay their way and are a… View
This is a good step forwards to relieve the congestion and safety issues between shared path users… View
Anything's possible in an election year, so take a punt on your own fab project
How about a motorsports and training facility? Cover the requirements from driver and rider training… View