A man and a woman who spent the night in Western Australia's Gibson Desert are set to be rescued, after their vehicle became heavily bogged on the way to the community of Warburton.
Police were able to locate the pair on Friday after they activated an emergency beacon.
Emergency kits, which included food, water and a satellite phone, were then dropped to the couple who ran into problems on the soft, sandy tracks about 300 kilometres from the Goldfields community.
Police said the couple appeared to be in good health and had enough food and water to last throughout the day.
A long-range search and rescue helicopter was sent from Broome to the rescue site this morning and is expected back in the town this afternoon.
Police have praised the pair for having the correct safety equipment and staying with the vehicle after running into problems.
Take care out there People !!
K.J.
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From Coast to Coast, We'll see it all.......One Day
I don't know the specifics of this situation but I almost always travel alone in my 4WD (just returned from a few days in the bush - 40mm of rain in 18 hours thank you!) but, essentially, if you cannot extricate yourself from the things which are likely to go wrong then don't go there.
Unforeseen problems will occur and that's fair enough but most 4WD/bush issues are foreseeable and people who act like idiots should be charged for it.
A four-wheel drive is not a "go anywhere" machine.
An EPIRB is not a get out of jail free card.
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"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ think it possible you may be mistaken"
Oliver Cromwell, 3rd August 1650 - in a letter to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
Here in SA just about every one is charged an Emergency Services levy (tax). This goes into the govt coffers to fund all Emergency Services. For example Sea Rescue doesnot charge for marine rescues, but theres generaly Police waiting at the boat ramp to check safety gear on the rescue boat. Fines are issued if flares are out of date or lack of safety equipment.
