Missing teacher and student rescued after night lost in Grampians bushland
Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
A teacher and student were rescued by a police helicopter in the early morning after spending a night alone in the Grampians when they became lost on a bushwalk.
Victoria Police say a 13-year-old boy and male teacher went missing during a school camp near Dunkeld in western Victoria. They were part of a group that set off for a walk about 9pm on Wednesday, but the student went down an unfamiliar track off Wannon River Road.
A quick-thinking teacher heard and followed the boy’s voice, finding the student after he’d become disorientated and drifted further from is schoolmates while trying to find a fence-line.
The pair became stranded together in the dense, hilly bushland roughly 270 kilometres and a three-hour drive to Melbourne’s west.
Police were alerted just before midnight Wednesday and called upon their air wing, which eventually spotted the duo about 3.30am on Thursday.
“Both the man and the boy were very grateful when they saw the police helicopter hovering above them,” air wing inspector Kelly Walker said.
“Although [it’s] unfortunate they got lost, sticking together was the right thing to do. Doing so made it easier for us to find them and bring them to safety,” the inspector said.
The air wing used its night-vision cameras to spot the pair in the dark and winched them to safety on the helicopter.
Both the teacher and student were checked by paramedics, but were uninjured in the incident.
The police air wing was also called into action last month to rescue Melbourne woman Lillian Ip, who was located from the air after being stuck in Victoria’s High Country for five days, surviving only on wine and lollies.
A teacher and his student try to get the attention of a police helicopter after becoming lost in think bushland near Dunkeld in Victoria’s west.Credit: Victoria Police
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
Most Viewed in National
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article