Werribee Gorge State Park: Two winched to safety from pitch black cliff face

The police air wing has rescued two hikers stuck on a 150m cliff face at Werribee and three children lost down a river near Glenmaggie.

The police airwing rescued two hikers stuck on a cliff face at Werribee and kids stuck on the wrong side of a river near Glenmaggie in the one night. Picture: 9News / file

Two lost hikers have been rescued from a 150m cliff face overnight after they wandered away from a trail in the Werribee Gorge State Park.

The duo, a 25-year-old man from Mill Park and a 36-year-old woman from Doncaster, had set out on a 3.5km hike to Falcons Lookout about 8pm on Monday night but became lost in the dangerous terrain.

The hikers raised the alarm about two and a half hours later after straying from the main track and becoming stranded on a ledge – facing a 150m drop.

“Police have been told the terrain was precarious with the track at times only 30cm wide with degrading edges,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.

With no handrails and a sheer drop on one side, the pair was unable to find their way back down in the dark and rough terrain.

Officers tried to reach the pair on foot but couldn’t so a police helicopter was called to winch the hikers to safety shortly after midnight.

The spokeswoman said neither party was injured in the rescue.

Earlier in the night, three children from Melbourne’s south east also became stranded after launching an inflatable donut into the Macalister River near Glenmaggie.

The trio, aged 15, 13 and 10-years-old, were staying with family at a Gells Road campground, but were caught in the flow of the river and taken down stream.

The spokeswoman said they were all able to climb to safety after the donut was caught on a rock, but were trapped on the wrong side of the river.

“Police also couldn’t make their way to the children on foot and family members were unable to reach them due to swift flowing water and slippery rocks,” she said.

The trio were rescued by an air wing helicopter and reunited with their families.