After a spate of bushwalkers getting lost in Tasmania a bush survival expert is calling for PLBs to be handed out free to multi-day hikers in a bid to save lives, and reduce search and rescue costs.
Survival Courses Tasmania founder Alex Mileham says unpredictable weather makes PLBs important items when hiking in Tasmania.
If someone hiking in the bush gets trapped due to bad weather or worse lost, and they don't have a PLB, Mileham say it’s a “one-way ticket to hypothermia”.
Tasmania is world-renowned for its spectacular wilderness, but many underestimate the dangers that come from stepping into remote bushland.
In the first weekend of January, search and rescue teams responded to three separate incidents across the state requiring rescue by helicopter: a Tasmanian woman who experienced a medical episode in the Western Arthur Ranges; a Tasmanian man who became lost on the South Coast Track; and two interstate tourists stranded on Cradle Mountain at night.
The day before, two interstate hikers walking without food or water were rescued while trying to descend a steep mountainside in the Freycinet National Park, and another man was located after failing to return from a walk on the South Coast Track.
PLB units send information when the emergency beacon is activated. This offers the advantage of precise location information from the inbuilt GPS as well a unique identifying number so rescue authorities can send the appropriate resources more quickly.
We know PLBs save lives because we report these stories often.
Like this story in April where a bushwalker who experienced kidney failure whilst on a solo hike say he was thankful he put his PLB in his pack at the last minute.
You can hire a PLB for free at 13 locations in NSW including the Blue Mountains. When you pick up a PLB, all you have to do is fill in a trip intention form.
Here's one PLB we recommend.
BUSHWALKING TIPS
If you're going bushwalking or backpack camping in NSW national park, be prepared and stay safe.
- Contact the park office or local visitor centre to ask about local conditions, tracks, creek or river water levels and fire danger. National parks offices and visitor centres have experienced staff who have a wide knowledge of the local area.
- Leave full details of your planned walk with a relative or a responsible person. Include details about where you will be going, who is with you, what equipment you have, and when you expect to return. You can also complete a trip intention form.
- Allow plenty of time to finish the activity in daylight, and pack extra food and water in case of unexpected delays.
- Weather can sometimes change quickly so walkers should be prepared for heat, rain and cold. Check the Bureau of Meteorology website for the latest weather forecast.
- If possible try to have at least four people in your group. If there is an emergency, two can go for help, while the other stays with the injured or ill person.
- Make sure there is at least one experienced person in the group who can guide and assist others.
- Make sure your activity is something which all participants in your group are able to do.
Click here for more safety tips.