Group winched to safety after spending night trapped on a Queensland mountain

A woman has been taken to hospital four hikers were left trapped on a mountain overnight after authorities deemed it ‘too hazardous’ to rescue them.

Four hikers have spent a harrowing night trapped on the side of a cliff in the Gold Coast hinterland.

The group was finally rescued from Tamborine Mountain on Sunday morning in a “complicated” operation.

One woman was flown to Gold Coast University Hospital with minor injuries

The group became stranded while climbing on a private property near Guanaba Gorge about 5.30pm on Saturday.

A Queensland Fire Department spokesperson said a specialist drone found the group on Saturday night and marked their position with a spotlight.

But attempts to rescue them were suspended for safety reasons late on Saturday night.

A specialist drone found the group on Saturday night. Picture: Queensland Fire Department.

A rescue 500 helicopter was also called to the scene, however it was deemed too dangerous to rescue the group overnight.

“They made the call that it was too hazardous to winch them out overnight,” the QFD spokesperson said.

Crews returned to the scene about 6am on Sunday and were able to begin winching people free by about 8.30am.

The last of the four people were rescued about 10am.

A Queensland Ambulance spokesperson said a woman in her 50s was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital with minor injuries, while the others were uninjured.

Originally published as Group winched to safety after spending night trapped on a Queensland mountain