Hikers who venture out in mountainous terrain are being reminded to plan ahead in case the worst should happen, after emergency crews rescued two people stranded on Mount Philp, south of the Lockyer Valley at the weekend.
The 67-year-old man and 50-year-old woman set off on their journey with their dog around 8am on Saturday July 20, but ran into trouble on the mountainous terrain just after 2pm, when the man suffered injuries from a fall.
They immediately called for help and emergency crews, including the Queensland Police Service (QPS), State Emergency Services (SES), Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS), Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) and Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) worked together for over 12-hours to get them back to safety.
Officers said the husband-and-wife duo didn’t panic, they stayed where they were and made a fire to keep warm in cold conditions, while crews coordinated the best approach to get them to safety.
The hikers were approximately 1.5 kilometres from the camping grounds at East Haldon, but fatigue and injury meant the man was unable to complete the hike on foot.
Consideration was given to airlifting the couple to safety, however strong winds meant the helicopter was unable to reach them.
In the end, QPS, QFD, SES and QAS crews hiked to their location with the assistance of a drone and assisted the pair and their dog back down the mountain including carrying the injured man on a stretcher. An all-terrain vehicle was used for the final leg of the trip.
Crews reached the couple by 10.20pm and managed to complete the rescue by 2.30am.
The man was taken to a Toowoomba hospital (St Vincent’s Hospital) with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been transferred to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane for further treatment.
He is expected to make a full recovery while the woman was not injured during the ordeal.
The couple and their son, who nervously waited at the bottom of the mountain, have since expressed their gratitude to everyone involved in their rescue.
Search and Rescue co-ordinator, Senior Constable Dale Jeppesen said it was a successful outcome thanks to the teamwork between agencies.
“Everyone involved in this rescue worked seamlessly together, using their agencies’ different skillsets to access the couple and bring them back down to safety as soon as possible,” Senior Constable Jeppesen said.
“It was a long day, but in the end, it was a great outcome for all involved.”
He also praised the couple’s prior planning, saying they did the right thing by letting people know where they were going and when they were expected to be back.
Other suggested tips to remember before setting off on a hike include researching the trail’s difficulty, mapping out your chosen route and checking the weather conditions ahead of time.
On the day, always take a trail buddy with you, bring a first aid kit and an appropriate amount of food and water for the journey.
