Four Teenagers Rescued from Australian Mountain After Climbing in Bad Weather

Climbing is a young man’s game. However, having the wisdom to make practical decisions only comes with age. These are the crosshairs that tend to trap many, if not most, young mountain adventurers. The thrill of peeking over the summit often overshadows any other logistical difficulties they might have along the way. While most people don’t particularly stretch themselves too thin, there are others who may not realize when they have pushed themselves beyond the point of no return.

With this, come ill-advised decisions made in unstable conditions and, on the odd occasion, fatal consequences. Such was the case for the four teens who needed rescuing after they scaled Bluff Knoll in the south of Western Australia in poor weather conditions. The four were reportedly found by an RAC rescue helicopter near the top of Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Range National Park.

How did the teenagers get trapped?

Bluff Knoll is an incredibly popular tourist attraction. Many frequently scale the mountain to visit one of the few spots in Western Australia where one can witness snowfall. In the past, many have called for a rescue team from the 1098-metre summit due to undesirable weather conditions. In fact, local authorities discourage climbers from scaling Bluff Knoll around the months of June due to bad weather.

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Local Sergeant Thomas Grieve believes cold, wet, and windy conditions make the climb incredibly unsafe. He claimed that, when it is snowing, temperatures often dip well below zero. He added that people often tend to undermine the severity of the weather in the region, leading to unprepared climbers taking on the challengers.

Moreover, it takes dozens of volunteers to carry out a rescue in the mountains, which can only happen under clear weather conditions.

The successful rescue Mission

While the teens had called for help on Saturday night, the rescue attempt was delayed due to dangerous weather conditions. Consequently, the stranded group was forced to spend the night overnight on the mountain. There were around 30-40 SES volunteers at the scene along with police and St John’s ambulance crew. After the teens were found, the ambulance crew from St. John’s Hospital assessed their condition and found that none of them were critical. Two of the stranded had mild hypothermia while the other two were mostly unscathed. Fortunately, none of them required hospitalization.

A police spokesperson confirmed that the rescue attempt was successful. Meanwhile, Sargeant Grieves encouraged people to consider weather conditions twice before making the climb. He urged everyone to exercise caution as it takes dozens of rescuers and clear weather to undertake a rescue operation. Moreover, he added that people should climb the mountain in clear weather conditions so they have a better view from the summit.

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