Six rockclimbers have been rescued from “The Candlestick” at Cape Hauy, Fortecue Bay, this morning,

Around 8.00pm on Wednesday 25 December 2019 Tasmania Police were advised of an emergency Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) signal.

A response to the PLB was commenced which included utilising the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, uniform police and members of Marine and Rescue Services.

Shortly before midnight, the helicopter crew saw flashing torch lights in the vicinity of the rock stack formation ‘The Candlestick’ off Cape Hauy, Fortescue Bay. A crew member and an Ambulance Paramedic was winched to the ground and identified that a rock climbing group had encountered difficulties in completing a return traverse to Cape Hauy.

A vessel was used in an attempt to retrieve members of the group, however conditions were deemed to be unsafe and arrangements made for the group to remain overnight in order to be rescued in the morning. A police helicopter rescue member and a paramedic from Ambulance Tasmania remained at that location overnight.

Early this morning, members of Tasmania Police Marine and Rescue Services retrieved the six rock climbers from the base of Cape Hauy using a police vessel.

A further rock climber from the group elected to return by foot to the camping ground at Fortescue Bay.

One female member of the group sustained rope burns to her hands, and attended the Royal Hobart Hospital for treatment.