134:. It was also noted that the original planted, willow trees that had held back the slope had been removed by the parks authority as noted in various newspaper reports at the time of the disaster, which contributed to liquefaction of the ground soil. The landslide was caused by liquification of the soil after heavy rain (and snow melt) and lack of appropriate soil stabilisation measures being implemented prior to the disaster.
241:
181:
with the
Bimbadeen Ski Lodge at high speed, destroying both. The landslide and debris continued downhill to hit the Bimbadeen Staff Lodge, which also collapsed. Witnesses reported hearing "a whoosh of air, a crack and a sound like a freight train rushing down the hill". John Cameron, a member of Brindabella Ski Club, who was alone in Carinya, along with 17 residents in Bimbadeen, lost their lives.
40:
318:. A device called a trapped-person locater was lowered down, it had a microphone and speaker so that the rescuers could maintain contact with Diver. A pipe was passed down the gap to provide warmer air which would increase his low body temperature. Another tube was put down which carried fluids from which he could have two sips every 20 minutes.
368:
had been landslides prior to July 1997 and that these prior landslides should have warranted action from the relevant authorities. Another of the coroner's recommendations was that an independent body be established to assess the
National Parks and Wildlife Service's ability to maintain roads within its national parks. NSW Environment Minister
367:
The
Coroner's report released on 29 June 2000 said that the landslide was caused by water from heavy rain, melting snow and a leaking water main. The landslide hit an eastern wing of one of the lodges first, which caused the nearby land to collapse onto lodges below. The Coroner also noted that there
180:
The four-storey
Carinya Lodge (owned by the Brindabella Ski Club) was torn in two. The landslide destroyed the support for Alpine Way road, which then collapsed, and sheared the western half of Carinya from its foundations. The detached structure slid downhill and crossed Bobuck Lane before colliding
278:
On 1 August, one more body was discovered in the early morning, and two more later during the day. However these bodies could not be retrieved at the time due to the instability of the rocks. A large slab of concrete which had been part of the
Bimbadeen carpark made rescue efforts difficult. At 3:00
325:
His position was two metres below the surface, beneath three concrete slabs. He was lying in water, wearing only a pair of underpants. Due to the risk of the overlying concrete crushing Diver, rescuers began digging a tunnel 16 metres (52 ft) long from the eastern side of the slope. Five hours
255:
arrived at 8:15 am. At 10:00 am, geophysicists who had been flown to the area from Sydney declared that the site was safe enough to begin an excavation of the top layers. However, it was still very unstable with a now-exposed underground stream flowing through the debris at the rate of 6,120 litres
310:
Five minutes later, rescue expert firefighter Steve Hirst, who used monitoring equipment to confirm the movement, yelled out "Rescue team working overhead, can anyone hear me?" to which a voice called back "I can hear you." When asked if he had sustained any injuries, the voice replied "No, but my
337:
The rescue effort continued after Diver had been found, now that rescue workers had hope that there would be more survivors. They did not find any, and the last body was recovered on the following
Thursday 7 August. According to a diary that a then AFP officer kept during the rescue, the snow and
333:
Diver was pulled from the wreckage later in the evening around 5:10 pm, with frostbitten feet: he was transported to
Canberra Hospital for his recovery. His first words were as he breathed the pure mountain air, "That sky's fantastic!". He was trapped for 65 hours in a small space between two
269:
The slope of the hillside, which ranged from 22-40 degrees and the sub-zero
Celsius temperatures made rescue efforts difficult. By midnight, 24 hours after the landslide had occurred, only the first body had been discovered. During the night, the temperature at Thredbo dropped to −14 °C
256:
per hour. At 10:30 am, a medical team inspected the disaster site. Many of the rescue workers themselves required treatment of minor injuries and the medical team realised they had to prepare to treat exhaustion and hypothermia among the workers.
321:
Hirst explained to the press that Diver said he was uninjured, just extremely cold. Police
Superintendent Charlie Sanderson explained the difficulty of extracting Diver because they could not risk the concrete slab falling on top of him.
176:
At 11:30 pm on
Wednesday, 30 July 1997, a landslide destroyed the Bimbadeen and Carinya Lodges at the Thredbo Alpine Village in New South Wales. Thousands of tonnes of liquefied earth and debris slid down the slope above the town.
306:
At 5:37 am on 2 August, digging finished and rescue workers dropped sound equipment into a hole they had been digging, as was the standard procedure. This time, they detected some movement underneath the concrete slab.
382:
had caused the main to fracture, which had saturated the already unstable slope that supported the road above Carinya. This verdict allowed the unsettled civil case of Bernd Josef and Tricia Hecher to go forward.
582:
334:
concrete slabs beside the body of his wife, Sally. Sally was a reservations manager at the resort. She had died by drowning as a concrete beam had pinned her in a depression that had filled with water overnight.
401:. Once the power stations were completed, the Authority upgraded the road with fill and planted vegetation on the downhill hillside. They transferred ownership to what was then called the State Park and is now
188:
received emergency calls from the lodge at Thredbo. The local fire brigades responded to reports of a 'small explosion' in the village. The first report to come through said that 100 people had been trapped.
409:(NPWS). NPWS had inadequate funds to maintain many of the park roads especially those which were "not designed for the purpose to which they were later put". Following the disaster, responsibility for the
330:
who kept talking to Diver for 11 hours until he was freed. When the site had to be evacuated each time the rubble shifted, Featherstone would stay below ground to keep Diver talking and distract him.
779:
353:
and reinforced fill were constructed on the site and the Alpine Way was rebuilt with upslope retaining walls. The site along with a section of the Alpine Way is now monitored with 25
964:
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263:. The State Emergency Service rotated amongst 1,350 rescue workers, with about 250 on the site at any one time. They worked in shifts of two hours, followed by four hours' rest.
902:
378:
On 2 December 2004, the Supreme Court judgment blamed the leaking water main pipe and the Alpine Way, which was built on a road full of debris, as the cause of the disaster.
589:
220:. Four specialists were flown from St George Hospital in Sydney to Thredbo. By 2:30 am, there were 100 professional services on the scene, and many volunteers from the
282:
During the day, several environmental issues were identified such as water and sewerage being cut off to the site, and some diesel fuel seeping into Thredbo Creek.
495:
375:
As of December 2004, the State Government of New South Wales spent $ 40 million in out-of-court settlements with 91 businesses and individuals after the incident.
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Rescue workers announced on Friday that there was little hope in finding any survivors. They had not completely given up hope, but Assistant Police Commissioner
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At 7:30 am, a forward medical command post was established, set up in a lodge located 50 metres (164 feet) from the site of the disaster.
956:
869:
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899:
992:
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The first body was found at 4:20 pm and pulled out at 8:50 pm. At 6:30 pm, a second specialist medical team arrived from
839:
548:
503:
391:
1007:
17:
997:
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later, rescuers had removed enough of the rubble for them to be able to touch Diver. Paul Featherstone was the
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88:
1002:
802:
656:
260:
213:
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402:
157:
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A memorial service was held in 2007 to mark the tenth anniversary of the events, which included a
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down the mountain after sunset. Another memorial was conducted on the 20th anniversary in 2017.
398:
252:
44:
Thredbo village and ski resort with Alpine Way road seen running above the lodges (Summer 2008)
444:
184:
Within 10-20 minutes of the landslide, New South Wales Fire Brigades Communication Centre at
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229:
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Police arrived at 12:30 am and evacuated the area. A regional disaster was declared, with
8:
695:
Reporter: Tracy Bowden (29 June 2000). "Thredbo landslide a disaster waiting to happen".
346:
After the landslide, the NSW Fire Brigade expanded its urban search and rescue division.
386:
The Alpine Way had originally been built as a temporary construction access road by the
266:
As they worked, attempts were made to reinforce the area to prevent further landslides.
292:
At this time there were no signs of life from fibre optic cameras or thermal imaging.
244:
SES volunteers (orange) and firemen (yellow) assist at the Thredbo debris slope, 1997
957:"Heroes' Mountain - The Thredbo Story (2001) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia"
440:
394:
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accepted this suggestion and addressed the NSW Parliament with his plan to do so.
906:
696:
436:
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164:, Australia, on 30 July 1997. Two ski lodges were destroyed and 18 people died.
379:
986:
556:
110:
97:
835:
354:
315:
301:
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583:"Report of the inquest into the deaths arising from the Thredbo landslide"
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286:
410:
358:
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told reporters; "I think at this stage the chances are quite remote."
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established as the disaster coordination centre for the region, with
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209:
193:
205:
76:
350:
217:
197:
801:
Australia, National Film and Sound Archive of (8 July 2021).
201:
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Brindabella Ski Club opened its new lodge on 5 June 2004.
200:
also notified. Medical staff were sent from nearby areas
39:
772:"20 years on: The dreaming that kept Stuart Diver alive"
338:
rain only started after the final body was recovered.
984:
576:
574:
572:
570:
568:
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314:He was identified as 27-year-old ski instructor
156:that occurred at the village and ski resort of
730:"Australia landslide toll rises, hopes fading"
279:pm, doctors met the relatives of the missing.
563:
27:Alpine disaster in New South Wales, Australia
769:
457:List of disasters in Australia by death toll
361:, to keep track of water flow in the soil.
588:. State of New South Wales. Archived from
397:power stations constructed as part of the
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800:
490:
488:
486:
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482:
480:
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474:
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239:
867:
388:Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Authority
357:, to detect any slope movement, and 12
130:Heavy rain, melting snow and a leaking
14:
985:
870:"Thredbo disaster: at last, the facts"
469:
951:
949:
934:from the original on 25 December 2018
863:
861:
859:
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782:from the original on 12 November 2020
654:
650:
648:
646:
644:
642:
640:
638:
636:
634:
632:
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543:
541:
967:from the original on 3 December 2020
868:Wallace, Natasha (3 December 1997).
830:
828:
770:Papadopoulos, Nick (4 August 1997).
765:
763:
761:
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736:from the original on 23 October 2012
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667:from the original on 15 August 2018
407:National Parks and Wildlife Service
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24:
946:
880:from the original on 4 August 2012
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232:, and other rescue organizations.
25:
1029:
825:
813:from the original on 4 March 2021
748:
709:
679:
607:
518:
251:Inspector Rory O'Driscoll of the
900:"Moving tribute to Thredbo dead"
803:"Stuart Diver: It was a miracle"
431:A fact-based made-for-TV drama,
916:
892:
842:from the original on 4 May 2013
390:during the 1950s to access the
295:
898:McMahon, Neil (30 July 2007).
794:
581:Hand, Derrick (29 June 2000).
439:starred as Stuart Diver, with
228:(SES) of New South Wales, the
224:(VRA) of New South Wales, the
13:
1:
913:. Retrieved on 17 August 2009
462:
419:Roads & Traffic Authority
349:In 1998, three terraces with
993:Disasters in New South Wales
341:
222:Volunteer Rescue Association
171:
7:
1018:July 1997 events in Oceania
1013:1997 disasters in Australia
450:
10:
1034:
961:www.screenaustralia.gov.au
496:"The Road Collapse of '97"
299:
261:Royal North Shore Hospital
911:The Sydney Morning Herald
874:The Sydney Morning Herald
776:The Sydney Morning Herald
138:
126:
87:
72:
64:
49:
37:
1008:1990s in New South Wales
838:. ICMI Speakers Bureau.
549:"1997 Thredbo landslide"
435:, was released in 2002.
403:Kosciuszko National Park
216:, which was a point for
311:feet are bloody cold!"
226:State Emergency Service
168:was the only survivor.
905:18 August 2007 at the
732:. CNN. 1 August 1997.
655:Brown, Andrew (2017).
500:Thredbo Alpine Village
399:Snowy Mountains Scheme
245:
53:30 July 1997
33:1997 Thredbo landslide
998:Landslides in Oceania
661:Sydney Morning Herald
392:Murray-1 and Murray-2
243:
230:Australian Red Cross
111:36.5036°S 148.3085°E
836:"Paul Featherstone"
657:"Heroes of Thredbo"
506:on 25 February 2014
152:was a catastrophic
107: /
34:
1003:Landslides in 1997
924:"Memorial Weekend"
559:on 30 August 2007.
417:was handed to the
246:
116:-36.5036; 148.3085
32:
553:NSW Fire Brigades
405:, managed by the
236:Thursday, 31 July
150:Thredbo landslide
146:
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18:Thredbo landslide
16:(Redirected from
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595:on 14 March 2012
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555:. Archived from
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502:. Archived from
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433:Heroes' Mountain
274:Friday, 1 August
208:, and also from
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437:Craig McLachlan
415:Kosciuszko Road
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162:New South Wales
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447:co-starring.
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969:. Retrieved
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844:. Retrieved
815:. Retrieved
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786:10 September
784:. Retrieved
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738:. Retrieved
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669:. Retrieved
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597:. Retrieved
590:the original
557:the original
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508:. Retrieved
504:the original
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430:
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366:
363:
348:
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332:
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316:Stuart Diver
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302:Stuart Diver
296:Stuart Diver
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166:Stuart Diver
149:
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29:
846:24 February
698:7.30 Report
510:25 February
359:piezometers
287:Ken Moroney
114: /
102:148°18′31″E
89:Coordinates
83:, Australia
987:Categories
703:Transcript
599:21 October
463:References
411:Alpine Way
380:Soil creep
253:NSW Police
186:Wollongong
132:water main
99:36°30′13″S
57:1997-07-30
884:20 August
740:20 August
426:flare run
370:Bob Debus
342:Aftermath
328:paramedic
214:Jindabyne
172:Landslide
154:landslide
965:Archived
932:Archived
903:Archived
878:Archived
840:Archived
811:Archived
780:Archived
734:Archived
665:Archived
451:See also
441:Tom Long
210:Canberra
194:Goulburn
73:Location
68:11:40 pm
928:Thredbo
701:. ABC.
421:(RTA).
351:gabions
206:Thredbo
158:Thredbo
77:Thredbo
55: (
971:7 July
938:7 July
817:8 July
671:8 July
218:triage
198:Sydney
139:Deaths
593:(PDF)
586:(PDF)
202:Cooma
127:Cause
973:2021
940:2021
886:2012
848:2014
819:2021
788:2020
742:2012
673:2021
601:2013
512:2014
443:and
413:and
148:The
65:Time
50:Date
212:to
204:to
989::
963:.
959:.
948:^
930:.
926:.
909:.
876:.
872:.
856:^
827:^
809:.
805:.
778:.
774:.
750:^
711:^
681:^
663:.
659:.
609:^
565:^
551:.
520:^
498:.
471:^
160:,
142:18
79:,
975:.
942:.
888:.
850:.
821:.
790:.
744:.
705:.
675:.
603:.
514:.
59:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
