Two bushwalkers, a father and son from Runaway Bay in Queensland, have been rescued from Tasmania’s Walls of Jerusalem National Park after their tent flooded during heavy rain overnight.
The pair, aged 67 and 17, activated their personal locator beacon (PLB) at 3:15am on Friday, prompting a rescue operation involving the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, Police Search and Rescue and State Emergency Service volunteers.
Police say the rescue teams were initially prevented from accessing the area due to poor weather conditions, which included heavy rain.
“Weather cleared sufficiently around 7.30am, which allowed the Westpac Police Rescue Helicopter to access the area.”
The father and son were found uninjured at 8:40am near Lake Solveig and transported out of the area.
Despite being wet and cold, they were otherwise unharmed.
Inspector Darren Hopkins emphasised the importance of carrying PLBs and informing someone of your intended route and return time.
“Wet and windy conditions are forecast over the next two days, so it’s a reminder to those venturing into the Tasmanian wilderness to be prepared with appropriate wet weather gear, warm clothing and we encourage the carriage of personal locator beacons,” he said.
