TCF grant supports volunteer Vertical Rescue Team

The Climbers Club of Tasmania’s Vertical Rescue Team recently assisted in a daring overnight rescue near Fortescue Bay in the state’s south, after two climbers found themselves in a precarious position perched on top of the popular ‘Totem Pole’ sea stack.

The Climbers Club of Tasmania’s Vertical Rescue Team consists of approximately a dozen volunteer members who undertake regular vertical rescue training and assist Tasmania Police in more complex or technical cliff based rescues, where a climbers local knowledge and skills can be of assistance.

Since 2021, the team’s training has been made possible thanks to equipment purchased through a Tasmanian Community Fund grant.

Climbers Club of Tasmania Member Will Hobbs said although rescues requiring the assistance of the vertical Rescue Team were rare, regular training sessions meant that its members were always well-prepared.

“In Tasmania, all search and rescue operations are coordinated by Tasmania Police who have the ability to do top-down rescues from above, but due to the complex nature of the Tasmania’s natural environment, there are some situations where additional assistance is required, and that’s where we come in,” he said.

“We are basically a ‘capability of last resort’, who are on call when there are no other options.

“We don’t get a lot of callouts, but the rescues we assist are often very serious and challenging.

Dr Hobbs said regular training prepared the team for all scenarios, including the intimidating challenges they faced near Cape Hauy.

“The call came out to us from Tasmania Police at about 6pm on the 12 February. Police tried a number of methods to get our team quickly to Cape Hauy (including a pretty wet moonlight boat ride), but due to the wind and swell we eventually had to walk in from Fortescue Bay. This meant that we didn’t start the technical rescue until about 1:30am the following morning,” he said.

“Thanks to our extensive training, we were able to work through the darkness.

“Our plan, which was to abseil down the cliff and climb back up to the stranded couple with an extra line, was complicated by strong winds and large swell which made the rescue extremely difficult.

“After about three hours trying to get up the Totem Pole we finally reached a point where we could haul the two back down to the mainland safely and by that point it was dawn.”

Thanks to support from the TCF, the Climbers Club of Tasmania purchased up-to-date equipment and ensure that both training sessions and rescues are being undertaken with well-maintained gear.

“Our members supply their own basic equipment such as helmets and harnesses, but there is other specialist equipment we need to support our role as a rescue team,” Dr Hobbs said.

“We need lots of specialised rope, anchoring tools and equipment for hauling people up cliff faces.

“We are incredibly grateful to the TCF for their support of our volunteer Vertical Rescue Team and proud that successful operations like this are clear examples of the positive results of this funding.”