Two men from Queensland have been rescued from Tasmania’s remote south-west after they ran into trouble during a kayaking trip on the Huon River. Tasmania Police said in a statement that their Search and Rescue officers assisted the two men on Friday, 19 June.
The alarm was raised at approximately 1:20 pm when the men activated their Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), according to police. A crew from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter located the kayakers at about 3:20 pm on a steep cliff to the northwest of the Cracroft River junction.
Tasmania Police reported that significant rainfall had caused the river to rise, forcing the men to abandon their kayaks after being immersed in the cold water. After leaving their kayaks, the men had to walk for some time through the bush. Both were suffering from symptoms of hypothermia and were very fatigued but had no other injuries, police said. They were transferred to the Royal Hobart Hospital for treatment.
The men had commenced their kayaking trip on Monday, according to the police statement.
Search and Rescue Sergeant Bernard Peters said the men were in “serious danger of succumbing to hypothermia after being exposed to those cold and wet conditions”. He noted that the men were well-equipped for the difficult conditions and praised their decision to carry a PLB. “Thankfully in this situation, the men had sufficient equipment for the difficult conditions and were equipped with a personal location device which meant we were able to accurately pinpoint their location when they called for our help,” Sergeant Peters said.
Sergeant Peters also stated the incident was a reminder that things can go wrong in the Tasmanian wilderness and highlighted the importance of being prepared. He said the men did the right thing by calling for help when there was still enough daylight for a helicopter rescue.
Police have advised that the two kayaks have not yet been found and can be reported to police on 131 444 if located.