Just weeks after students from Presbyterian Ladies’ College Armidale carried an injured hiker for hours through the Warrumbungle National Park, another dramatic rescue has unfolded in the rugged mountain range, this time involving two stranded climbers from Victoria.
A major multi-agency rescue operation was launched on Saturday afternoon after an emergency beacon was activated from Crater Bluff near Coonabarabran.
The pair had been climbing Cornerstone Rib, about 150 metres up the rock face, when a falling rock struck a 61-year-old climber in the head.
Police said the man suffered cuts and a suspected concussion in the incident.
Despite the difficult terrain, the injured climber and his companion were able to scramble to a narrow ledge where they activated an EPIRB, triggering a complex rescue effort involving Police Rescue officers, PolAir and specialist critical care paramedics.
Emergency crews were winched onto the bluff by helicopter before carefully bringing both climbers to the summit, where they were assessed and treated.
However, fading light and dangerous conditions meant the operation could not be completed before nightfall, forcing rescuers and climbers to remain stranded on the mountain overnight.
Images released from the scene showed rescuers camped high on the rocky summit as temperatures dropped across the ranges.
The rescue operation resumed at first light on Sunday morning, with a TOLL rescue helicopter successfully winching everyone to safety about 8am, ending an ordeal that lasted close to 20 hours.
The injured climber was taken to Coonabarabran Hospital with minor injuries.
The Warrumbungles, known for their dramatic volcanic rock formations and popular climbing routes, have seen a string of rescue incidents in recent weeks.
Last month, a group of PLC Armidale students undertaking a Duke of Edinburgh hike used a hammock as a makeshift stretcher to carry an injured hiker several kilometres through rough bush tracks after he broke his leg.
That rescue also required hours of coordinated effort before the injured man could reach emergency assistance.
Authorities have praised the coordinated response by rescue crews involved in the overnight operation.
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