Tourist did not notify anyone where he was going and died

Tony Bev · Guru

Tourist did not notify anyone where he was going and died

CC Bear · Senior Member

Most idiots in this country would do the same, you can not legislate for stupidity. How many people are killed every year trying to cross a floodeded road and this is only one example.

hako · Guru

Go easy fellas - big brother has not arrived yet and it is still a free country where we can go where and when we like without having to tell Mummy.

Good Luck.

Aussie · Senior Member

CC Bear, that's a rash statement if you only know what Tony Bev wrote. I can think of a thousand different circumstances that might apply to that poor guys fate. Silence or sympathy might be a better response.

The Belmont Bear · Guru

I read the article via Tony's link and I have to agree with Aussie's suggested action on this - it's not been confirmed yet what led to this poor guys fate as the police are still carrying out their investigation. Tony not sure about must advise someone where they are going that's a bit too nanny state. I would suggest that hire car & motor home companies offer safety advice to either foreign or interstate customers about cautions to take when travelling in remote areas. If I remember the last time that I hired a motorhome from Maui in Darwin they did offer me that advice in their pre trip briefing on the use of the vehicle. I have to also agree with part of what CC posted you cannot legislate against poor decisions we all know that some people are going to knowingly take risks regardless of the law.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Very unfortunate ... not a good outcome for a visit to Straya for sure. cry

If the news article link was actually read by posters it states -

"Hours before the body was found, police received a report from a local tourist accommodation site that a guest appeared to be missing.
The man had failed to book out from the accommodation, leaving a number of personal items behind, but his car could not be found."

If this was the person who has died, than at least someone was vigilant enough to realise something might be wrong.

Yep - he should have told "people" where he was going and for how long etc etc etc ........ but ... let's stop being so full of sanctimonious advice.

REALLY, just how often do each of us "seasoned travellers" tell someone - family, friends, authorities - each time we are heading somewhere and for how long - "just in case".

I venture it would be very, very few.

Cheers - John

wasn_me · Guru

I'm a solo camper & mostly travel by myself. I'll send my kids a message where I'm camped & where I intend camping the next night. Sometimes there's no phone reception.

I keep off main roads & highways where possible. It would be so easy to go off the side of a road into a deep drop off with no trace.

I'll paddle for hours on creeks or rivers, & not see anyone else. I often think what if I had a heart attack.

This enforces the need for a P.L.B. I'll have to make that a Christmas present to myself.

Cheers Pete

Ron-D · Guru

I agree there's no need generally to tell anyone where your going that's your own business,but if your going into remote areas all by yourself it's not a bad idea to inform someone...

Cupie · Guru

wasn_me wrote:
I'm a solo camper & mostly travel by myself. I'll send my kids a message where I'm camped & where I intend camping the next night. Sometimes there's no phone reception.
I keep off main roads & highways where possible. It would be so easy to go off the side of a road into a deep drop off with no trace.
I'll paddle for hours on creeks or rivers, & not see anyone else. I often think what if I had a heart attack.
This enforces the need for a P.L.B. I'll have to make that a Christmas present to myself.
Cheers Pete

Sounds a bit like me to.

I sometimes have the same thought when I am a long way up a creek or whatever in my yak.

But then I'm (or was) even worse in that I love nothing more than walking off alone in the bush. Perhaps this stems from my youth when I used to go hunting pigs solo or at best with my dog, armed with only a large knife of perhaps an old ex WW2 .45 auto.

Much sympathy for this Tourist.

-- Edited by Cupie on Tuesday 8th of November 2016 09:34:40 AM

LLD · Senior Member

CC Bear wrote:
Most idiots in this country would do the same, you can not legislate for stupidity. How many people are killed every year trying to cross a floodeded road and this is only one example.

Agree. Cannot legislate for stupidity and and any legislation would just make us even a more nanny state. Unfortunately many foreigners & locals who live in populated areas have no idea how big, remote & cruel remote Australia is and how cruel and unpredictable Mother Nature can be.

A friend recently rode a trail bike solo up in N/E SA (Qld/NT/NSW areas). He rented a GPS/Satellite Phone and called his wife every afternoon at 4:00pm. If he didn't call, she knew exactly where he was. Was tracking him on her PC. He actually used it. Not for himself but for 2 x 4WD who'd both got themselves bogged (one got bogged trying to pull the other out of a bog). He had the phone, they had the food & beer. Took 2 days for help to arrive.

Yaketty · Veteran Member

Even having notified someone of your travel intentions it isn't guaranteed that if you haven't returned as expected someone will follow up - as in the case of this unfortunate couple:
www.4wdaustralia.com.au/Forum/Topic/73559/1998_Death_at_Halligans_Bay_-_Caroline_Grossmueller.aspx

brickies · Guru

But if your dead and they know where you are your still dead

JackoFJR · Senior Member

brickies wrote:
But if your dead and they know where you are your still dead

Only half dead would be a worry.

Izabarack · Guru

So, this bloke goes somewhere and dies. A search party would have found the dead body earlier????????

Whether or not he had told someone to come looking for him after some deadline would have made no difference to his outcomes. Local paper may have been grateful for having something to fill the pages.

Iza

hako · Guru

Overseas tourists get lost or worse probably in the same ratio as Aussies tourists do in New York.
Crocodile Dundee had his Bowie knife when in N.Y. but does the average Aussie tell his/her hotel manager where he will be when wandering around the bright lights?

Good Luck.

Tony Bev · Guru

I will add to this post as I am not a natural scribe, perhaps I have not been able to fully convey my thoughts on what was a tragic event.
(In my original post, I also forgot to say RIP, for the person concerned)

Quote from the newspaper article
Hours before the body was found, police received a report from a local tourist accommodation site that a guest appeared to be missing.
The man had failed to book out from the accommodation, leaving a number of personal items behind, but his car could not be found.
It is believed his body had been in the park for more than two days before being found.

Sergeant Peters said there was nothing to indicate the man's death was suspicious, but police believed he may have perished as a result of dehydration or injuries suffered from a fall.
"He did have a water bottle with him, a small one, but there was only a mouthful or two left in it," he said.
"Whether that contributed to the death, we're not sure."

Sergeant Peters said the park had limited telecommunications and as such, the man's best course of action would have been to let someone know where he was.
"A mobile phone wouldn't have helped him," he said.

"He had to let someone know where he was and a time he'd be returning, which didn't occur.
"Unfortunately being by himself we had no way of knowing he was out there."
Unquote

In my honest opinion, when we receive an Australian drivers licence, we already more or less know, some of the pitfalls of travelling in isolated areas
The overseas tourist concerned obviously did not know, that if he had notified someone, where he was going, and when he would be returning, he may still be alive.

I appreciate that Dave has pointed out that he was offered advice when he hired a motorhome from Maui in Darwin

I also appreciate that John has pointed out the tragedy of Caroline Grossmueller

I do not know the full answer to stop something like this happening again in the future, but I will stick to my original opinion, of my original post.
If a person with an overseas drivers licence hires a vehicle in Australia, then they should be told that they must tell someone where they are going, and when they will return, each time they leave the bitumen road

I hope that I am not coming across as preaching a sermon, but if that what it sounds like, then I have just got off my soapbox

TheHeaths · Guru

Kalbarri National Park is an extremely popular park with many people, and many do the walks. I am certain many in this place have been there and done them.

I would be interested to know how many of us have let people know we were going there, and when we would be coming back.

I know it is wise to let people know when you are going to remote and less well travelled areas, and we did on a couple of occasions during our recent trip to the NT and northern WA, but really, how many of us would think to let anyone know when we go to a well travelled NP. I would suggest none of us would. Just as important is the need to "sign off" on return as well.

This is a most unfortunate accident, and should just be viewed as that.

In my opinion, to expect any travellers to advise authorities anytime they go off of the bitumen would just create a lot of work, for our already overstretched police and emergency services, as people forget to "sign off" on their return.

acan · Member

This is very sad news Australia is a BIG country and many areas to visit and have a great time. Sometimes though things can go wrong. I have 2 backup systems. If I have a car crash I have a built in GPS t if air bags are deployed a mesage via satellite is sent out to a assist centre that will come and get me. Just in case i go over the side of a road etc. I also have Personal Locator Beacon, size of a cigarette packet, that if i go fishing, a walk or just camping way out woop woop and lets say i am bitten by a snake, heart attack, fall and break a leg I just push a button and help will arrive within hours or sooner.
None of these systems work of telstra they are both sat based and will work Aussie wide.
Just a thought. Regards Anthony