Fury over ‘unfit’ hiker rescue at Mt Warning during the Easter break
A HIKER had to be airlifted off Mount Warning last night after becoming too tired to walk down. The rescue mission cost thousands of dollars and involved at least 20 people.
Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A HIKER had to be airlifted off Mount Warning last night after becoming too tired to walk down.
The rescue mission cost thousands of dollars and involved at least 20 people.
The 115kg walker was flown to Lismore hospital as a precaution about 6.30pm but was discharged shortly afterwards. He was treated for dehydration.
Tweed rescue crews were fuming.
Eighteen volunteers gathered at the base of the mountain ready to walk up with a stretcher as clouds shrouded the landmark, preventing the Lismore Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter from landing.
But the clouds parted long enough for the chopper to put down 400m from the 1159m peak and collect the man.
It is believed the walker had ignored signs at the bottom of the mountain warning hikers not to begin an ascent in the afternoon.
Tweed Rescue duty officer Mal Pearse said hikers needed to wear appropriate footwear and be fit enough to complete the gruelling walk.
“If the weather didn’t clear we were going to have to carry a 115kg man down the mountain,” he said.
“It would have taken all of us to do it and we would be here until 1am.
“You need to be ready to take on Mt Warning.
“We don’t mind coming to genuine accidents but frivolous jobs are very disconcerting.”
The debacle happened two days after a woman injured her leg hiking on the mountain and had to be stretchered down.
Mr Pearse said more and more unprepared hikers were getting in trouble on the mountain.
“It used to only be four or six a year but we’ve had two just this weekend,” he said.
“The message needs to be take care because while it is a beautiful spot it can also be dangerous.
“Everyone involved in these rescues gives up their time and we shouldn’t be here more often than we need to.”
“If you haven’t done the climb before or have the right level of fitness you have to be cautious,” Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter crewman Roger Fry said.
“He went up with no food and just a water bottle and tiredness kicked in because he was dehydrated.”
“There are signs at the base and halfway up saying don’t start in the afternoon.
“The nights are getting cooler ... fortunately we were able to get him down pretty swiftly.”
Heart-shaped waterhole tourism a cause for concern
IT’S quickly becoming the most popular watering hole on the Gold Coast but when the good times turn sour at Killarney Glen National Park, swimmers are left to fend for themselves.
Emergency crews took hours to carry a woman in her 20s to the road after she injured her foot at the heart-shaped rock pool around 2pm yesterday.
The dirt road next to the walking track was too treacherous for an ambulance so paramedics were forced to make the 20-minute hike with heavy first aid kits.
Brisbane woman Charlotte Roland, who witnessed the incident, said the watering hole was completely packed with tourists.
“There are people from all over the world here and I don’t know how they dound out about it,” she said.
“The woman who was hurt just had a sore foot but it looked like she was in a bit of pain.
“I think you need to take care at a place like this.”
Southport woman Elyse Karlisle spent the afternoon jumping into the deep rockpools alongside her boyfriend.
“It is just magical here which is why we always come up for a swim,” she said.
“Its starting to get busy though so looks like the secret it out.”
Man left with life-threatening injuries in Gold Coast stabbing
A father of five has learned his fate for his role in a violent confrontation on a suburban street that left one man with “imminently life-threatening” injuries.
Toy guns, knife in wild scenes at Pac Fair
A man has been charged after shoppers were allegedly witness to bizarre scenes in Pacific Fair involving a knife, toy guns and teens said to have been causing havoc.