Myra to the rescue

The prettier half of our lodge management team found herself in the middle of a mercy dash on the Bogong High Plains.

In between washing all our linen and modelling the latest in pyjamas, Myra  has a job driving Husky oversnow vehicles for FCRM this year. On Friday 5th July she was just finishing her first Husky shift at about 4:30pm when she was asked to help with a medical rescue.

Myra at the wheel of a Husky

Rover Chalet is a lodge on the High Plains out past Wallaces Hut, owned by Scouts Victoria. Every week during winter a different group goes out there for a week of skiing and adventure. Normally everything goes very smoothly and everone has a great time without incident. Unfortunately the Venturer group that week didn't have it quite so easy. A 15 year old girl was having some respiratory problems.

The rescue party of police, paramedic and ski patroller joined an experienced SES navigator and Myra as driver . The weather was atrocious, with blizzard conditions and large snow drifts, but Myra got them there safely. The patient and was assessed and then loaded into the Husky, along with a Venturer leader, for the return trip.

Back in Falls Creek accommodation had to be found for the pair - on the weekend in the middle of Victorian School holidays. A late cancellation meant that AAC could help here too.

Rover Chalet on the Bogong High Plains

Myra and Andrew are both very involved in Scouting and Guiding and know Rover Chalet well. Myra is a Ranger Guide leader in Monbulk and also provides lots of support to Andrew in his role as a Venturer leader. When she got to Rover Chalet she found that she knew some of the leaders and participants. It was great to be able to help them.

The next day the rest of the Venturer group set out to cross-country ski back to Falls Creek at the end of their stay. Conditions were still very poor, some of the Venturers were getting cold and tired and the leaders decided to seek shelter and assistance when they reached Langfords Gap. Once again a rescue team was put together, but Myra wasn't required this time. This rescue did get a fair bit of media attention, but it was really about leaders being prudent rather than Venturers being in immediate danger.