Chaos erupted at a peaceful campsite near St Helens on Monday night after a 28-year-old woman from Hobart brandished a dangerous weapon, causing panic and evacuation.
According to Tasmania Police, the incident began at around 10:50pm, when they received a call about an armed woman at the Dianas Basin campsite.
Upon arrival, the officers were immediately confronted by the woman, who was waving a machete.
Police quickly deployed capsicum spray to subdue the suspect, but she managed to flee into the bush.
With the safety of the campers at stake, several sites in the area were quickly evacuated, as the police worked to resolve the situation as calmly and safely as possible.
Specialist resources including drones, the Westpac Rescue helicopter, negotiators, and members of the Special Operations Group were called in to assist in the manhunt.
For several hours, the area was cordoned off as the police searched for the woman.
The operation finally came to a successful conclusion at around 5am, when the woman was apprehended and arrested.
The campsite has now returned to normal operations, and the 28-year-old woman is expected to be charged over the incident later today.
