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An air ambulance helicopter last night located two bushwalkers who became lost between Mansfield and Mount Buller.
The men aged 34-and-65 were camping in the area and strayed off a track while on a day hike near Helicopter Spur in the Upper Howqua Valley.
The Rescue Coordination Centre in Canberra contacted Ambulance Victoria at 9.30pm last night after the men set off an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon)
Intensive care flight paramedic Wayne Gardam said the pair’s decision to have an EPIRB helped locate them.
‘We located them quite quickly through the EPIRB signal but there were large trees all around them so it was challenging to winch down to them,’ Mr Gardam said.
‘I was winched down 60-metres to get to an area near where the men set-up for the night and lit a fire to keep warm.
‘The men were well prepared and even had a survival whistle which they were blowing to help guide me in to their location.
‘I assessed both men and they weren’t injured so we decided to start walking from the bush.
‘The ambulance helicopter pilot and crewman were able to guide us along a creek and we then met up with police in a four wheel drive.
‘We returned to the men’s campsite so they could pack up.
‘The man in his 60’s was quite fatigued and drained so a decision was made to fly him back to the air ambulance base at Essendon where he was reunited with family just before four o’clock.
‘The rescue highlights the importance of being well prepared including carrying things like an EPIRB to ensure emergency services can locate you if something goes wrong.
‘It was also a case of good teamwork between Ambulance Victoria and police to ensure the men were able to get out of the bush last night,’ Mr Gardam said.ENDS