An unprepared walker has spent the night in the company of a search and rescue crew after he ventured off a walking track and got lost in Tasmania’s remote north-west.
The man in his 50s was reported missing in the Luina area near Savage River at around 12pm on Sunday afternoon, having deviated from the track just before 7pm the night before.
Police said the man’s motivation for leaving the track was to explore, but he soon found himself unable to find his way back.
They said he was not prepared for an overnight stay and was not in possession of a personal locator beacon.
Thankfully, however, Search and Rescue crews were able to make “limited contact” with the man to obtain the coordinates of his location.
Bad weather meant the rescue helicopter deployed to assist with the search was quickly grounded, forcing specialist emergency service crews to walk to the man’s location on foot.
He was found at 10:45pm on Sunday, having spent two nights alone in the wilderness in unfavourable conditions.
It wasn’t until first light on Monday morning that the rescue helicopter was able to reach the scene and safely extract the man from the area.
“Police would like to remind walkers to let someone know where you are walking, consider the weather conditions, plan for unexpected events, take adequate food and water and wear appropriate clothing,” a police spokesperson said.
“Also, give consideration to purchasing and carrying a personal locator beacon.”
