More devastating details have emerged about the plight of the British family at the center of a fatal tragedy at Wentworth Falls, west of Sydney, on Monday afternoon.
A father, 49, and young son, nine, are crushed to death in front of the teenager, while his wife, 50, and another son, 14, are fighting for their lives in hospital in critical condition.
The 15-year-old girl who survived the landslide sounded the alarm in a frantic call to Triple-0 around 1.30 pm.
Understandably, the troubled teen said to the pilot, “I do not know where we are.”
He left the spot with the help of emergency crews, which included hiking for an hour and a half along the hiking trail.
The Wentworth Pass is a steep 5-mile walk, popular with both locals and visitors alike for its stunning waterfall views and valley views.
Police said the girl was not injured but was “extremely distressed” and was later treated by paramedics for shock before being taken to hospital.
A day trip to the Blue Mountains ended in tragedy for a British family, after a man and his nine-year-old son were killed by a horrible landslide (in the photo, emergency crews making the trip)
The girl is now hailed as a hero by the emergency correspondents who watched the horrific scene.
Crews returned to the scene early Tuesday morning to retrieve the bodies of the man and the boy.
The retrieval of the bodies will be a planned and delicate operation due to the nature of the soil at the site.
According to the emergency services, according to the emergency services, it seems that the family was on vacation in Australia and had no warning before the tragedy.
“Everything we can gather from the notes during the call suggests it was a horrific accident,” NSW ambulance chief Stewart Clarke told Sunrise on Tuesday.
“What was most worrying after the incident was the concern that noises could still be heard after the initial impact, which poses significant risks to our patients as well as to our people being sent.”
A multi-service rescue operation was launched to retrieve the family from the Wentworth Pass loop route after sounding the alarm just before 1pm on Monday.
It is understandable that several hikers on the track helped the rescuers after facing the painful scenes.
Secure access to victims was a difficult operation for emergency crews.
“These people who work tirelessly for us are the best at what they do,” said Supt Clarke.
“They are highly trained and highly skilled, but that does not negate the strong risk assessments that were made at the time to ensure that they were able to use these skills safely to access patients to provide some high quality clinical care.” .
The woman and the 14-year-old boy, who suffered serious head and abdominal injuries, had to undergo drugs before being dragged off the path by rescuers on Monday night.
They were airlifted to Westmead Hospital and the Children’s Hospital.
Both underwent emergency surgery and remain in critical condition.
Two hikers have died after a landslide in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney as a family enjoys a 5km journey
A teenager and a woman were airlifted to hospital in critical condition, while a fifth member of the family – a 15-year-old girl – was not injured.
It has since been revealed that the family was allowed to use an insidious hiking trail, despite weeks of torrential rains that make the area dangerous for hikers.
A video posted by the sports and entertainment blog “Find My Australia” shows hikers climbing the cliff and climbing muddy mounds over the weekend.
Although picturesque, the clip highlights the precarious nature of the valley promenade, which features steep descents under narrow stone steps and towering rock walls.
Rescuers found it difficult to reach the victims not only because of the remote location, but also because of the dangerous terrain and the unstable path due to the days of heavy rain in the Blue Mountains.
The Wentworth Pass is infamously steep and is considered to have a fourth degree of difficulty according to the NSW National Park and Wildlife Service guidelines, which recommend its use only to experienced shrubs.
Despite the muddy, slippery conditions, NSW police said the section of the track where the tragedy took place was open to the public.
Several areas around Wentworth Falls have been closed since March 11 due to flood damage, with a major landslide recently closing Kedumba Valley Road, which sits next to the trail.
The National Pass, another 350 miles (350 meters) away from Monday’s deadly incident, has also been closed in recent weeks due to an “ongoing risk of rock falling.”
A man who was in the popular tourist spot at about the same time as the British on Monday told the Daily Mail Australia that he carefully stopped his hike because the ground was muddy and the stairs were wet and he had recently injured his foot on a hike.
In a post an hour after the tragedy, the organizer of the Ultra-Trail Australia run announced that the Wentworth Falls track was going to be upgraded later this week to make sure it was safe in time for their upcoming event.
“We are working closely together [National Parks and Council teams] “to ensure that our classes start on May 12-15 and we are sure they will be ready in five weeks,” the team wrote on its Facebook page around 2:30 p.m.
The tragedy happened near the Wentworth Pass hiking trail in the Blue Mountains, about 50 miles west of Sydney
Rescuers were swept away by a rescue helicopter on the cliff as they searched for anyone trapped by moving debris.
Rescue operation launched (photo) to remove critical patients from the area for further medical care
“Parks has asked us to let you know about some upcoming tracks that will close this week on Thursday 7 and Friday 8 April (weather dependent), which include natural sections near Fairmont Resort and Wentworth Falls.
However, hours after the deaths, the NSW National Park and Wildlife Service announced that the section would be closed indefinitely.
“Wentworth Falls and Valley of the Waters are closed after a rock fall,” the department wrote on its website.
“Please avoid this area until later.”
Hiking enthusiasts who have visited the same trail in recent days have expressed shock and online condolences to the British family.
Several areas around Wentworth Falls (photo: A hiker on the trail on Monday) have been closed since March 11 due to flood damage, with a major landslide recently closing Kedumba Valley Road
“This is the path we completed two days earlier and we were unaware of any danger at the time,” they wrote on Facebook.
“Our thoughts are with the families of these walkers.”
The family was on holiday in Australia from the United Kingdom, NSW police have confirmed, and the British consulate is now assisting.
Authorities are still working to determine if the landslide struck the group while they were walking along a bushy path or if they were hiking along the fallen cliff.
In a spooky post one hour after the tragedy, the organizer of the Ultra-Trail Australia run announced that the Wentworth Falls track was going to be upgraded later this week to make sure it was safe in time for their upcoming event.
“Unfortunately there was a landslide while walking in the bushes and a man and a boy died,” said New Wales Police Detective Acting Supervisor John Nelson.
“As far as the site is concerned, it is extremely dangerous and unstable”,
“Two other patients are in critical condition, with head and abdomen injuries, which need sedation before extraction.”
The head of the New Wales ambulance, Stuart Clark, added: “This is absolutely heartbreaking for everyone involved and a really tragic end to what I am sure was meant to be a pleasant day.
“I am deeply saddened to lose two lives here today and my heart goes out to the families and survivors of this horrific ordeal who have witnessed what is certainly a traumatic event.”
“This was a really complex and delicate rescue operation for our crews who worked to reach patients in steep bushy areas and navigate unstable ground.”
Rescue efforts were hampered by the awful ground, which was “unstable” due to recent rainfall
The rescue operation also involved local police, rescue police, NSW Fire and Rescue, National Parks & Wildlife Services, Blue Mountains detectives and PolAir and rescue helicopters.
Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill offered his thoughts to the victims, their families and friends.
“Whether we live here or not, those who come to the beautiful Blue Mountains stay in our hearts,” Greenhill said.
“Moments like this cause pain and sadness to our entire Blue Mountains family.”
Seven paramedics from the road network, including paramedics and two rescue helicopters with an intensive care unit and an intensive care unit on board, were dispatched to the scene.
The rescue operation also involved local police, rescue police, the NSW Fire and Rescue Service, National Parks & Wildlife Services, Blue Mountains and PolAir detectives and rescue helicopters.
The Wentworth Pass Loop is a 5-mile hiking trail through the Blue Mountains National Park. In the photo: emergency services worker at the scene on Monday
