A spate of search and rescue operations in the Blue Mountains has forced police to remind adventurers to take proper precautions before trekking through the bush.
The call follows the search near Mount Wilson for two canyoners, missing for two days on the Du Faurs Creek firetrail.
The pair, aged 42 and 64, were eventually located on the Wollangambe walking track; experienced bushwalkers, they had simply missed their exit point and were forced to spend two days and nights in the wilderness.
In a second incident, police rescued a 43-year-old man, who wandered off from a bushwalking group and became lost yesterday afternoon near Cascade Falls at Leura.
The search was mounted by Blue Mountains Police Rescue, Polair and the State Emergency Service.
He was reunited with his companions, safe and well.
In a third operation, two German tourists were found after a police search near Wentworth Falls.
The women, aged 20 and 22, telephoned police after losing their bearings around 8.30 last night.
Neither was prepared for overnight conditions.
Officers reached them around 11pm at Lindemans Pass.
They were safely guided back to their car.
Senior police are urging adventurers to follow the “Think Before You Trek” guidelines, drawn up by police and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
· Take adequate supplies of food, water, navigation aids, first aid equipment and warm, water proof clothing.
· Register your planned route and tell friends and family of your expected return time.
· Emergency Locator Beacons are available for loan, free of charge.
· Keep to the planned route on the map and follow walking tracks.
Police further advise bushwalkers, kayakers, canyoners and others to check local weather and environmental conditions before setting out, never travel alone and allow plenty of time to complete the trek. The complete “Think Before You Trek” guide can be found on the NSW Police website – www.police.nsw.gov.au
Emergency Locator Beacons are equipped with G.P.S. location technology and are free to borrow, subject to availability, from the Katoomba and Springwood Police Stations or the National Parks and Wildlife Service office at Blackheath.