Group of tourists rescued after suffering heat stroke at Kalbarri National Park

A group of French tourists had to be rescued recently, after one of them suffered from heat stroke while hiking in Kalbarri National Park.

Emergency services attended the incident on Sunday, January 18, with Kalbarri SES manager Steve Cable saying the group of about six had encountered trouble as they attempted to bushwalk with no water.

He said the group planned to walk the 9km loop quickly, and made it to within a kilometre of completing the journey when one of the men started suffering from symptoms related to heat stroke. The temperature reached a maximum of 33C that day.

The SES, park rangers, and volunteer firefighters assisted the men to safety and transferred the affected man to St John WA.

“Without the extraordinary teamwork we have between our local volunteers we can’t achieve what we do,” Kalbarri SES posted on social media.

Though the incident did not cause any long-term harm, Mr Cable emphasised that planning was extremely important before undertaking outdoor activity in regional areas where water might not be readily available.

“It’s a beautiful country, but you’ve got to be smart,” he said.

Mr Cable also advised tourists to check in with local visitor centres to find out how they could best prepare for any outdoor activities.

“Make yourself safe by being prepared,” he said.