Trampers urged to take greater care

After the deaths last year of two trampers in the Tararuas, Mountain Safety Council is urging trampers to follow the Outdoor Safety Code by being aware of the weather, taking sufficient supplies and taking appropriate means of communication.

“The coroner said the key factors in Dr Bennington and Ms Jackson's deaths were their lack of equipment for adverse weather conditions as well as their failure to properly check the weather forecast or take cell phones with them.” - Stuff.co.nz

Mountain Safety Council Programme Manager Chris Tews said Search and Rescue authorities reported that the trampers did not have a compass, emergency tent, or reliable means of communications.

Mountain Safety Council encourages people to enjoy the outdoors safely. This incident suggests a lack of care and preparation was taken in checking weather forecasts and assessing how the forecasted snow and high winds were likely to affect the planned journey.

Other organisations backing the Outdoor Safety Code include the NZSAR Council, LandSAR (Land Search and Rescue), the Police, Department of Conservation, Tourism New Zealand, ACC, Tourism Industry Association (TIA), SPARC, and the Walking Access Commission.

When venturing into the outdoors the Mountain Safety Council advises everyone to use The Outdoor Safety Code:

• Plan your trip. Seek local knowledge, plan the route you will take and the amount of time you can reasonably expect it to take.
• Tell someone. Tell someone your plans and leave a date for when to raise the alarm if you haven’t returned.
• Be aware of the weather. New Zealand’s weather can be highly unpredictable. Check the forecast and expect weather changes.
• Know your limits. Challenge yourself within your physical limits and experience.
• Take sufficient supplies. Make sure you have enough food, equipment and emergency rations for the worst case scenario. Take an appropriate means of communication.

For more information about outdoor safety visit, www.mountainsafety.org.nz or www.landsar.org.nz or 406 MHz beacons visit, www.beacons.org.nz.