“They got into difficulty after going down the Rock Garden and trying to come up the Devil’s Staircase. A lot of people have been caught out in that area over the years; it is incredibly steep, slippery, and rutted.
“One of the men had injured his knee while trying to haul one of the motorcycles up a steep drop. Due to the injury, he wouldn’t have been able to move the bikes up any further and would’ve had great difficulty walking out.”
Police praised the men’s actions after they realised they were in trouble.
“They were well-prepared and had built themselves a shelter from ferns to try to keep dry. They had sleeping bags, food and warm clothing with them, and managed to get a fire going before the rain set in. Once they realised they weren’t going to be able to get out, they stayed together and stayed put. They made themselves quite visible and easy to find.”
Along with warm clothes, food and water, police also recommend that people going outdoors take a map, GPS, and emergency shelter, and make sure someone knows their intentions.
Personal locator beacons are highly recommended for anyone planning on regular excursions into the outdoors.
