Media Release

Having set off from Wyndham for a 5 day camping trip in the Kimberley region of Western Australia early on a Friday morning, Helen Clement arrived at the Bell Gorge car park at 3:30pm in the afternoon and decided to take the quick walk in for a photo of the picturesque surroundings.

On reaching the bottom of the gorge, Helen took the chance to capture an elusive Rock Wallaby on camera as the afternoon light began to exit the steep gorge walls. Within a few minutes of turning for home, she found herself in unfamiliar territory and by 5:30pm was completely lost.

“I remember that I had to cross a creek to get back to the track but from the moment after I took the photo of the wallaby, every part of the track I was on appeared unfamiliar,” said Helen Clement.

“I just kept walking onwards hoping to recognise any of the surroundings but I didn’t. It got to the point where I didn’t know whether to go up, down or just keep walking further and further into unfamiliar territory. So I stopped and activated the EPIRB.”

During trip preparations, a friend insisted that Helen borrow a Pains Wessex RB3 EPIRB given the rugged and remote location of the Kimberley. Placed directly into the backpack, the RB3 was not even a serious consideration until Helen was sitting in the dark listening to a chorus of bush noises.

”Spiders and snakes don’t bother me in the slightest but I had no intention of hanging around till morning in a place that is renowned for wild pigs and dogs,” Helen said.

“I activated the EPIRB and with light from the activated strobe and half a moon I managed to scramble up onto some rocks higher up in the gorge to wait until morning. I was so thankful my friend insisted I put the EPIRB straight into my backpack because that is all I had with me. Sitting in the dark I kept rationalising how I could have gotten lost on such a simple walk.”

The Pains Wessex RB3 EPIRB was activated at approximately 5:20pm with Helen utilising the clock on her camera to take a photo to record time at 5:33pm. After an ever increasingly cold 3 ½ hours, Helen heard a car approach across the other side of the gorge with headlights breaking the darkness.

“Once I heard the car I was confused because it came from a completely different direction to where I thought the car park was supposed to be,” Helen explained.

“When the car disappeared, I resolved myself to settle in for a cold night when suddenly a torch light appeared and was heading down the hill. A voice called out my name and asked me to stay put and within a short time I was talking with Ranger Dave and his partner Christie. They came down the path I originally tread which made me realise I had walked into an entirely different gorge and had become completely disorientated.”

Once activated, the Pains Wessex RB3 EPIRB relayed a distress signal via the 121.5Mhz and 243Mhz satellite frequency to be picked up at the AusSAR rescue coordination centre in Canberra. Within 2 hours, the signal had been detected with location coordinates then relayed back to nearby rangers to begin the search.

“The RB3 unit instructions stated that rescue times in this area should be within 2 hours- and that is pretty well how it happened,” said Helen. “Ranger Dave got a call at 1930hrs that an EPIRB had been set off at 1733hrs, but by the time he checked car parks and organised the rescue it was approximately 2100hrs.”

“I left the EPIRB operating until the rangers arrived. I was so thankful that I had the RB3 with me in the backpack. I could not believe how easy it was to become disorientated and realised that if I had not had the EPIRB and not decided to climb higher to be able to see the torch, nobody would have found me.”

“All I was wearing was a singlet and shorts and, because of the apparent easy nature of the gorge walk, all I had with me was my backpack with the EPIRB, insect repellent and sunscreen. Looking at the map, I just would have kept walking further and further into some of the most remote wilderness areas in Australia. “

“Even though I was never in a life threatening position, I know my situation could have become a lot worse without the EPIRB. I will definitely buy one for myself before my next trip.”

The Pains Wessex range of EPIRBs is the first line of defence when outdoor adventure plans go wrong. Whether you’re miles out to see or deep in the Australian bush, ensuring a Pains Wessex EPIRB is part of your trip is the best plan anyone can have.

For further information on this story contact:

Dale Thompson
Marine Business Manager
Pains Wessex Australia Pty Ltd
4/1955 Malvern Road
East Malvern Vic 3145
Ph. (03) 9885 0444
Email dalethompson@painswessex.com.au

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