A Tasmanian family of six, including three children, has been safely rescued after becoming stranded overnight in heavy snow at Mount Field National Park.
Emergency services were alerted shortly after 4:30pm on Saturday when the family found themselves unable to navigate walking tracks due to sudden heavy snowfall.
Search Coordinator Callum Herbert said police initially managed brief communication with the stranded walkers.
“The walkers were advised to return to the nearby Newdegate Hut and await the rescue crew,” he said.
Deteriorating weather conditions forced rescuers to abandon helicopter evacuation plans.
A ground team of police and Ambulance Tasmania wilderness paramedics were dispatched on foot through treacherous conditions.
“The rescue team reached the walkers at the hut shortly before midnight, finding them all safe, but cold and wet,” Herbert said.
Rescuers determined an immediate evacuation was too dangerous given the family’s condition and the hazardous environment.
“Given their condition and the hazardous environment, including strong winds and nearly one foot of snow, we determined it was unsafe to walk them out during the night,” he said.
“Medical assistance, food and sleeping bags were provided overnight to ensure everyone could remain safely sheltered.”
A helicopter successfully retrieved the family around 10:30am on Sunday when weather conditions improved, returning them safely to the visitor centre.
“We are thankful the walkers were able to reach emergency services by phone yesterday, or the outcome could easily have been far worse,” Herbert said.
The family, who are Tasmanian locals, had initially planned only a day walk when they were caught off guard by the rapidly changing alpine conditions.
