Hikers Deaths: Mystery in Victorian High Country
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Police Appeal for Information After two Hikers Found Dead in Victorian High Country
The bodies of two women, believed to be in thier 20s or 30s, were discovered by hikers near Cleve Cole Hut, close to Mount Bogong, Victoria, just before 1pm on friday.
Victoria Police inspector Paul Hargreaves stated that blizzard conditions prevailed in recent days, and the women likely succumbed to severe hypothermia. No missing persons reports had been filed, prompting a public appeal for information.
“If you have been up on top of the hill in the last two to three days, if you have been hiking in that area and you saw anybody that looked a little bit disoriented, maybe not dressed adequately for the conditions, we’d certainly be very, very keen to hear from [you],” Hargreaves told reporters on Saturday.
The bodies were discovered by other hikers on Friday afternoon. Source: Supplied / Victoria Police
Hargreaves emphasized the exceptionally challenging conditions,noting the whether could rapidly become “perilous and unfavourable.”
“The weather in the last two to three days has been down as low as minus 2.8 degrees, winds up around 83 kilometres an hour and snow falling,” he said.
Cleve cole Hut is a popular destination for hikers ascending Victoria’s highest peak, Mount Bogong, typically surrounded by gums and alpine grassland during winter. Access is limited to tracks, which Hargreaves described as “arduous” and possibly dangerous without appropriate equipment and conditions.