NT Parks' safety reminder after second Larapinta Trail hiker rescued in one week
Perth resident Mark Foley was walking the breathtaking track through the West MacDonnell Ranges/Tjoritja National Park west of Alice Springs when he started to feel unwell.
"I had a skin sore, which one of the guys was fixing up and I all of a sudden felt very dizzy," the 62-year-old said.
Mr Foley and his friends were well prepared and one of them used a device to send out the alarm.
A few hours later, Mr Foley was airlifted to Alice Springs Hospital, where he received treatment for infection and dehydration.
Senior director for Parks and Wildlife Operations Chris Day said the incident was the second rescue of a hiker from the Larapinta Trail that week.
"It starts well before you get on the walk, that's the key. It's planning and preparation," the Parks ranger of 44 years said.
Mr Day recommended all hikers or people adventuring into the outback carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) so rescuers could easily find them in an emergency.
"Number one is that communication device, the personal locator beacon, or increasingly these days these messaging devices, which both have the ability to raise an alarm," he said.
Source: Northern Territory Parks
After a three-day stint resting in Alice Springs, Mr Foley was given the all clear by doctors to return to the trail.
"I rejoined the trip at Standley Chasm," he said.
Mr Foley said the experience had not deterred him from future hikes, but he was grateful his group was carrying a location and communication device.
"It's just so essential," he said.
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