An ill-prepared Tasmanian pair have been rescued from the Cradle Mountain National Park after they ventured off a track and became stuck yesterday.
The two men from Burnie made a distress call around 5:30pm on Tuesday when they found themselves trapped in what rescuers have described as “extremely steep terrain.”
Western Search and Rescue lead Inspector Steve Jones said it was “incredibly frustrating” that walkers continue to ignore “the same warnings again and again”.
He said the men had trekked to the summit, with minimal food and water, a mobile phone and no equipment to spend the night in case of emergency.
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“The rescue helicopter is a vital service, and available for genuine emergencies.”
“It was a sunny, clear day at Cradle Mountain, and had the two walkers not gone off track, they would not have got lost.”
Both were located safely by a large team of rescuers who were forced to walk in to assist the walkers back to safety.
“Bushwalkers should always prepare for the worst, and while the weather was great yesterday, that can change rapidly,” Inspector Steve Jones said.
“Our emergency service personnel often put their own lives at risk during rescues, so it is frustrating when the situation could have been avoided.”
