BSAR searchers and other emergency services workers directly involved in the search for Luke Shambrook over Easter were thanked in State Parliament on Wednesday 22 April by Premier Daniel Andrews, the Minister for Emergency Services, Jane Garrett and Luke’s parents. The thanks for our efforts was warmly appreciated.
Missing boy found in Lake Eildon National Park after five day search, April 2015
Tuesday 7 April 2015
The search for a young boy in Lake Eildon National Park resulted in him being found alive after a five-day search.
BSAR members made a substantial contribution to the search effort. A BSAR searcher found the boy’s hat in dense bush during a line search on day four.  He was spotted from the Police helicopter on day 5 and was then carried out to safety.
Continue reading “Missing boy found in Lake Eildon National Park after five day search, April 2015”
BSAR Steep Snow and Ice training at The Razorback, September 2014
We held our Steep Snow and Ice training this year amidst spectacular scenery on The Razorback on 5 to 7 September 2014.
The training covered roping up, travelling roped, using a z-pulley with the new MPD, avalanche rescue using transceivers, shovels and probes, climbing with ice axe and crampons, low angle haul of the sked and some skiing and snow shoeing. Twenty 23 members attended.
We had a wonderful view of the sunset from our camp near Diamantina Hut.
We thank Victoria Police Search and Rescue and Transport Branch and Mount Hotham Resort Management for their support of this training event.
BSAR search for missing snowboarders on Mount Bogong 13-15 July 2014
Two snowboarders failed to return home as expected from a trip to Mt Bogong on Saturday evening 12 July.  Police initiated a full BSAR call out of both north east and Melbourne members early Sunday morning. BSAR members from the Birkenbeiner Nordic Ski Club at Mt Beauty quickly responded, climbing to Michell Hut where the men’s tent was situated, and commenced searching the debris below a recent avalanche site that had been located off the east side of the upper Eskdale Spur.
On Sunday evening a large team of Police Search and Rescue and additional BSAR members from Melbourne climbed to Michell hut and prepared for a large scale search effort. Searching the avalanche debris located one victim on Monday morning. On Monday evening all BSAR searchers were flown off Mt Bogong by Police helicopter.
Search and rescue on Mount Bogong for two missing snowshoers 5-6 July 2014
Police received a triple zero 000 call from two men lost on Mt Bogong on Saturday 5 July, who had become separated from the rest of their party in bad weather.
BSAR members from the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club at Mt Beauty responded at short notice to the BSAR local call out and ascended Staircase Spur during the night.
In the early hours of Sunday morning they located the two men in their collapsed tent near the top of the Staircase Spur. Both were thoroughly soaked, severely hypothermic and dehydrated. The men were moved into tents and carefully warmed over the next few hours.
Once sufficiently re-warmed, each man was moved down to Bivouac Hut for further treatment, now assisted by members of Police Search and Rescue Squad.
At Bivouac Hut additional BSAR members from Melbourne and Mt Beauty, as well as local SES personnel, assisted in getting the men off Mt Bogong. This was successfully achieved by the end of the day. Both men made a full recovery.
Peter Briggs AO
Peter Briggs AO is a BSAR Field Organiser and a retired Rear Admiral.
Peter lead a team of Australians on a mission to preserve the WW1 submarine AE2 as part of the Silent Anzac Project.
Peter also lead the team that found the missing submarine AE1 in December 2017.
Links
- Rear Admiral Peter Douglas Briggs, Royal Australian Navy