S&R Day 2

Look what I nearly got a ride in today!

Again I was able to turn out for the search and rescue at Wentworth Falls/Katoomba. More hurry up and wait, more even than yesterday.

We came within a whisker of getting a helicopter ride. We were going to be deployed on the top of Mount Solitary and were all briefed on getting in and out of a helicopter either while it was hovering or via winch (!?). But then the mist rolled in and stayed and plans changed and only 4 with Remote Area Firefighting Team (RAFT) and winch training and the NPWS crew were able to go. The remaining RFS were split in to a couple of teams. One team was sent down the Golden Stairs and along the bottom of the cliff below Narrow Neck and my team were deployed to search Castle Head at the top. (Phew! - I think doing the Golden Stairs would be like climbing the Wallace Monument 2 or 3 times). My team included people from Faulco (Karen & Dan's brigade) some of whom I'd met before, two from Woodford and two from Glenbrook-Lapstone, including Steve who did the VF training with Jamie, Robbie and I.

As we did yesterday, we did line searches - spreading out from the track in a line. The terrain was less steep than yesterday but the bush was much more dense and more than once I was on my hands and knees burrowing through bushes and found myself stuck on top of a bush once or twice too! We bashed through the bush following a walking track off the main (dirt) road unable to see very far ahead. After about 30-45 mins of this we came to the cliff edge - and what a spectacular view! A bit of a walk further along and we were at Castle Head and the view was just stunning - it was all misty when we first got there but within 5 minutes or so the mist cleared and it was just glorious. It's a shame to be there under such circumstances, but I wouldn't have missed it for anything - this really is a blessed part of the world.


No sign of our boy again. At one point the team on Mount Solitary thought they might have found something - some scuff marks and some broken branches near the cliff edge. The police helicopter was deployed to have a look along the base of the cliff but they didn't see anything.

I was on the ABC news tonight. At one bit in the story on the search there is a policeman giving a briefing - there is the back of a blonde head - that's me!!! Tried to find it on the internet but all I found was some British news video. The media was everywhere today. We had a reporter and his cameraman appear at the cliff with us - then they kept popping up everywhere. We were hacking though the undergrowth and they sauntered along the track. It was a bit intrusive at times though and they just assume you don't mind having your picture taken.