What I find unforgivable is the blatant disregard for the kids' safety. They should have been equipped with VHF, satphone or both.
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What I find unforgivable is the blatant disregard for the kids' safety. They should have been equipped with VHF, satphone or both.
I suspect that either the prospect of a 2 week stay in the desert was having mental health impacts on the family or they are after their 15 minutes of fame but if the latter was the case then the book deal would have been better if they waited longer in the desert.
They were well set up and had plenty of experience in outback travel
They had an EPIRB which alerted authorities to their plight, it is difficult to understand the rationale for pushing the button on the epirb without knowing the circumstances.
Perhaps the rescue was forced on them as the authorities did not want the ongoing risk of a family remaining in the desert on 40 degree days being placed on them?
The Simpson closes on December 1, perhaps this factored into their decision to leave Birdsville?
I'm not so sure that the amount of rain was accurately forecast at the time they departed Birdsville and it is certainly unseasonal.
I'm surprised at some of the attitudes expressed regarding travellers who have put in at least as much thought and probably more than some people on here who have done similar trips with less prep. IMHO they should not be charged, if they faced the cost of being rescued they would not have set off the epirb and a far more tragic outcome may have occurred.
Regards,
Tote
So everyone on here who has crossed the Simpson has had those items? I'm not so sure. When we have done remote trips we usually carry a club satphone and an epirb but the risk to the kids is more about the risk of being too far from medical help in the case of a medivac emergency. We had a daughter fall in the fire 12 hours drive from Mt Dare, that makes you think about risk and there is no way you would get a chopper in there inside a couple of days. Luckily in our case there wasn't a major injury but would I change the decision to take them - absolutely not.Quote:
Originally Posted by V8Ian
Besides they had a satphone within hours of setting off the epirb so not taking one is pretty irrelevent to the "rescue"
Regards,
Tote
A satphone at what cost? It had to be dropped to them by helo. Satphones can be rented by the month, quite economically. I wouldn't entertain remote travel without a satphone, with or without young kids.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tote
How many time did the helicopter have to fly out to them, thanks to their reckless conduct?
Experts (and AMSA) are now saying they were well prepared, were not irresponsible and are in fact being praised for activating the PLB early. When they left Birsdsville all roads were open so if authorities had concerned at that time they should have been closed.Quote:
Originally Posted by V8Ian
They should not be charged to costs as it sets a dangerous precedent. If these "rescues" are charged then people will be reluctant to call for help and lives will be lost.
The rescue services are there, and costed exactly for these events.
Garry
And after they had got struck what then - would not have been a lot of help - they would still have been bogged - they had the itemm that counts - the PLB.Quote:
Originally Posted by V8Ian
They were ill equipped. A PLB is for mayday situations, they were in a pan situation, for which a satphone or VHF is perfectly adequate.Quote:
Originally Posted by 101RRS
Had they bothered to equip themselves with all the appropriate comms, there would have been no need to send a chopper with the satphone.
The satphone was dropped from a Cessna, there was footage of the drop. so pretty cheap in the scheme of things.Quote:
Originally Posted by V8Ian
Regards,
Tote
If they were in a pan situation why were they evacuated then?Quote:
Originally Posted by V8Ian
Regards,
Tote
I think they have done the right thing. I have no idea how long they where bogged before setting off the epirb, but they obviously realised they where not getting unbogged before food and/or water supplies became an issue. They stayed with the vehicle so where easy to find. If they had a sat phone they still would have required the food/water drop anyway so theres only the saving of the initial scouting flight. Ok so they may have made a bad call to travel, but I wasn't there so I can't say if I would or wouldn't have made the same call. I've been bogged in some remote areas in the Pilbara a couple of times when I was younger and less prepared than what I am when I travel now, I dont carry an epirb but I do own a sat phone.