QPWS RANGERS RESCUE TWO WOMEN STRANDED AT JOURAMA FALLS

Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr praised two Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers who today rescued two women stranded by heavy rain and rising creeks at Jourama Falls, Paluma Range National Park, south of Ingham.

Ms Nelson-Carr said the rangers volunteered to leave their home in Townsville and make a hazardous cross country trek in pouring rain.

“Our rangers are the people with the best knowledge of the area and the best chance of providing help.

“It’s a credit to their skills and commitment, especially in such awful conditions, that they were able to safely lead the stranded women out of danger.”

The two women were among four people in the national park caught out by the creeks swollen by torrential rain.

Two other campers who were in the day-use area were able to reach the QPWS office at Jourama Falls National Park where they are sheltering until local flooding subsides.

The two women were stranded Tuesday morning in a camping area by Waterview Creek.

Rangers were in contact with them yesterday and, although they indicated that they had food for several days, there were fears they could be cut off for some time by the still-rising creek.

There was concern for their safety when rangers later lost contact with the women.

After consultation with the Queensland Police Service and State Emergency Service, QPWS rangers Graham McLachlan and Lynn Schluter volunteered to trek to the camping area along the ridge on the eastern side of Waterview creek.

Ms Nelson-Carr said the two women were only half a kilometre from the safety of the park’s entrance but there was a risk they would have become lost if they had set off on their own or, worse, tried to cross the creek.

“They did the right thing by staying put and waiting to be led out by rangers who knew the area well.

“The rangers set out at 10 o’clock from the park’s entrance and by one o’clock they had reached them and led them to safety.”

Media contact: Karla Steen on 3336 8004 or Andie Gatti on 3336 8002