OT-Out of fuel
Submitted: Monday, Feb 18, 2008 at 13:50
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Stu050
Out of fuel
My view is that it should be mandatory for any vehicle travelling in remote areas to carry suitable communications and adequate supplies for the region(s) that are being visited/traversed.
This is totally unnecessary, and could have cost lives.
Reply By: Member - Dunworkin (WA) - Monday, Feb 18, 2008 at 15:02
Monday, Feb 18, 2008 at 15:02
Hi Stu50, this came up the other day,
check out thread 54643, I fail to understand how a "tour company" could get it so wrong, one can only suggest that maybe they got a hole in their fuel tank and lost their fuel but that still doesn't allow for no communications.and anyway what happened to the rule of staying with the vehicle, probably no water !!!!!!!!!!!!
Glad that they (the tour companies) are not all like that.
Cheers
D
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Monday, Feb 18, 2008 at 19:06
Monday, Feb 18, 2008 at 19:06
Its hard to believe no vehicles came past going in the direction of
William Creek in 8 hours and saw what was happening, alerted someone in
William Creek (must have been some guys in the pub there, they would have come out to get them.. At 6 Ks an hour walking, thats 8 hours!! No one came out to get them!!! Thats whats hard to believe!!! What is irresponsible is that they were allowed to walk in the heat, its the middle of summer. Michael
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Follow Up By: Footloose - Monday, Feb 18, 2008 at 21:40
Monday, Feb 18, 2008 at 21:40
Michael, they might have been on the
Coober Pedy track. A woman died on that track several years ago. There isn't too much passing traffic at certain times of the year, obviously :(
It still doesn't explain the lack of fuel and comms...I wonder what the tour company had to say ?
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Follow Up By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Monday, Feb 18, 2008 at 22:40
Monday, Feb 18, 2008 at 22:40
Footloose, Yes you may be right, i blew a tyre once just out of Maree and we decided to go out via
Coober Pedy from
William Creek and we commented about the lack of passing vehicles. Michael
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Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Tuesday, Feb 19, 2008 at 08:36
Tuesday, Feb 19, 2008 at 08:36
I know it is all supposition. If they were 40 K's out, perhaps they weren't on the
Oodnadatta Track. Perhaps they were on the
Halligan Bay access road?
The real story may never be disclosed as no one died.
Hopefully though, this Tour Company (not a small one either) may have learned a lesson and equip their vehicles travelling "in the outback" with proper safety and communication equipment.
They should still receive a heavy fine from some Government department to stress the act of negligence.
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Reply By: Andrew from Vivid Adventures - Tuesday, Feb 19, 2008 at 15:41
Tuesday, Feb 19, 2008 at 15:41
Their Tourism Tick accreditation should require them to carry appropriate communications. Unfortunately, I suspect that they might think that Globalstar phone, or worse,
UHF radio is enough when clearly it is not.
Similarly they should have emergency plans that cater for such a simple eventuality and which don't have people leaving the vehicle.
I would be very certain that they will be audited by the accreditation people as a result of this, and if they don't agree to the audit or fail to implement changes, that their accreditation would be discontinued.
Interesting that suitable communications is a requirement for some permits nowadays (Anne-Beadell for instance)... perhaps it is time this was done for Desert Parks Pass too and certainly for all Commercial Tour Operators.
Cheers,
Andrew.
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