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German tourist trapped on Mt Beerwah |
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Written by Les Fawkes
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Tuesday, 01 November 2011 |
A
female german tourist in her early 20’s spent a cold night on Mt.
Beerwah after becoming stuck during an afternoon walk with a male
accomplice on Monday October 31st. The male person was able to make it
back down to safety before dark and raised the alarm.
An S.E.S. Mountain Rescue group climbed the mountain at night, however were unable to safely get to the location of the missing person. After approximately 6 hours this group returned down the mountain to return at first light.
When the search resumed at first light the stuck woman was rescued by the crew of the AGL rescue helicopter.
When safely back on the ground the german tourist said, “First thing - to have a shower would be good.”
To make this climb the stuck people had to walk past signs indicating that the tracks were closed because of dangerous conditions. The track has been closed since earlier in the year when rubble fell making the track dangerous to climbers. The tracks are very steep and are described as challenging and should be attempted by experienced climbers only.
There is a $300 fine for disregarding those signs. The cost of the rescues would total in the vicinity of $25,000 - $30,000. Some members of the local SES Group believe that the fine should be raised to better represent the proper cost of the rescue.
Rescues in the Glasshouse Mountains are regular tasks for members of the Glasshouse SES Group, the previous one being only weeks ago. Mt. Beerwah is not a mountain that you should try to climb without good fitness. It’s not a mountain you would want to do without good fitness and preferably in the daylight hours. Climbing should be commenced in the early hours of daylight as the return trip takes about 6 to 7 hours.
Luckily, in this case the stuck person had some warm clothes and a small amount of food. Contact was maintained with the trapped person via mobile phone. It was a cold night to be stuck on the mountainside. She suffered no injuries as a result of her night outdoors.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 16 December 2011 )
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Range News 2005 - ON 
