24-04-2025
Camping couple stranded for days on closed Aussie road after 4WD mistake
An Aussie couple have been rescued by helicopter after being stranded on a closed rural road for three days in an ill-fated travel adventure over the Easter weekend. The pair set off in their 4WD last week for a camping trip that was quickly brought to a halt on Friday when they bogged the vehicle on the Cape Melville Track in Queensland's Cape York Peninsula.
Luckily, the 21-year-old man and 19-year-old woman, both from the Tablelands, were intending to camp in the area so they had plenty of supplies with them, a Queensland Police spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia on Thursday.
However, it is unknown why they drove down the challenging 4WD track in the first place given the Cape Melville National Park is closed every year during the wet season — from December 1 to July 31 — due to impassable roads.
The pair were able to alert authorities by texting them via the iPhone Satellite Relay Service.
'They weren't able to speak to police on the phone as there was no reception,' the police spokesperson told Yahoo, adding that the travellers had sustained 'a few minor cuts and bruises' during their time in the bush, but 'nothing out of the ordinary for people going camping/4WDing'.
Local police first tried to locate the couple by road, but many were closed or simply too dangerous due to wet weather. On Monday morning, officers reached the young man and woman via helicopter and transported them to a police station.
Footage shows the couple's sunken ute, which also had a broken winch, bogged in a large hole in the track. An officer can be heard telling the campers they 'shouldn't be in the area' and to grab 'some essential items' to bring with them.
Special Constable Adam Tickner said the pair did the right thing by staying with their vehicle and not wandering off in search of help.
'It was fortunate that these people had enough food and water to last a few days, however this is very challenging terrain, especially during the wet season,' he said.
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'These roads are closed for a reason, and phone reception is limited. When travelling on the Cape, ensure you have a satellite phone or personal locator peach, recovery gear, spare parts, first aid, and adequate food, water and fuel.'
Anyone travelling to remote parts of Far North Queensland is urged to plan their trip and check park alerts, Queensland Traffic or the local council website for road conditions.
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