Seven hikers saved in Kosciuszko alpine rescue

News.com.au

a day ago

A massive six-hour rescue operation has saved a group of hikers who were stranded in heavy snow in NSW's Snowy Mountains.
The group of seven hikers activated a personal locator beacon (PLB) around 1.15pm on Saturday along a trek in the Kosciuszko National Park.
Police, SES and NSW ambulance were part of the rescue team.
The group, who were aged from 21 to 48, was found at about 7pm.
They had reportedly become disoriented after a sudden change in weather on their hike.
They were all assessed by paramedics at the scene and treated for exposure to the cold.
The group were then taken to Thredbo Village using a specialised Snowcat vehicle.
Monaro Police District Commander Detective Acting Superintendent Keith Price urged hikers to look for weather alerts before embarking on any treks.
'Activating the PLB meant rescuers had a precise location as well as information about the stranded group, enabling the appropriate resources to be deployed more quickly,' he said.
'Even experienced hikers with the right gear can be impacted by sudden weather changes and our advice to all hikers in the Alpine area is to always check for weather alerts, plan your route carefully, and take a PLB.'
The Dead Horse Gap hike is considered one of the more accessible treks in the Thredbo region.
It is a mostly downhill 10km circuit that takes hikers from the top of the Kosciuszko Chairlift to Dead Horse Gap.