We admired Fox Glacier from the distance enforced by safety barriers when we we there 18 months ago and thought about ignoring the warning signs to have a closer look.
We wondered if the warnings were to protect the business of the guides or if they were really about safety because it didn’t look dangerous.
But we’ve done a bit of tramping and know enough about the dangers of unstable ice to be wary. We’d also read reports of people who’d been injured when they ventured where they’d been warned not to go so we did the sensible thing and kept our distance.
Not everyone does and this morning’s ODT has photos and comments from a former guide showing the risks people take in spite of very clear warnings about the dangers.
Most of them escape injury because the danger is about ice falls which could happen but don’t always so those who take the risk usually return unharmed. But sometimes the ice does fall with fatal consequences for those in its path and that’s why two young Australians died this week.
It’s tragic and DOC is right to review its safety proceedures but I can not see how they are at fault nor that there is anything else they can do to prevent such an accident happening again.
As Conservation Minister Tim Groser very tactfully said:
“There is always a degree of decision-making involved in accessing and managing the risks of the outdoors. . . “
No matter what we do and where we do it, our safety is ultimately our own responsibility.
this was not an accident but risk taking gone wrong. we do not need any inquiry but maybe compulsory personal insurance for visitors as a condition of entry will make some of the candidates for “Darwin” awards that seem to make these dumb decisions, reconsider
[...] Homepaddock then writes about safety at places like Fox Glacier. Personally, Adam agrees with Tim Groser in that there comes a point when people have to be held accountable and responsible for their own safety and wellbeing. Yet, again we have some saying that DOC and guides were responsible for these 2 people dying. Sorry though he is for their death, Adam cannot help but think that Monkey and MacDoctor ’s definitions apply to these 2 as well. [...]
Actually, I think the best way would be to put up a big sign saying “x and y died here from falling ice”.
If you put that in front of people’s face, maybe they’ll take more notice of the other signs, and realize that they’re serious.
I was at Fox 3 days before the 2 men where killed.
I went up the walking track on the left hand side facing the glacier to the lookout, there was a rope across accross the walking track whith a sign on it that read that read ( rough ground do not procreed if not used to this) Note not exact wording! because I have had experance in this rough ground I went boyond the roped off area, and whent to the face of the glacier, however I looked and assessed it and could see that the right hand side looked very unstable and didn’t get within 50m of it. while I was their, there were about another 20 people their. I saw no other signs once I went past the rope barrer. I’m not blaming any one for what happened however one should take extream care when hicking/trecking in the bush, we can’t have safety barrer’s set up every where. I could see that the right hand side was overhanging and fresh had broken away resently thats why I wouldn’t go near it.