By Shelby Brooks and Taylah Eastwell
Emerald SES volunteers have reiterated the plea for visitors to stay away from the Dandenong Ranges after a woman had to be rescued from Sherbooke Forest over the weekend.
Paramedics, CFA and SES were called to the popular walking spot around 2pm on Sunday 20 June after receiving reports a woman was injured and stuck.
People had been asked to stay away from the Dandenong Ranges due to the storm damage and ongoing risk in the area, with Sherbrooke Forest currently closed to the east, including at Grants Picnic Ground.
SES and CFA crews spent two and a half hours chainsawing a path through the bush to carry the woman out on a stretcher to safety.
Belgrave CFA volunteer Terry Boyd described the rescue as “completely unnecessary“ on Facebook.
“To even get to this spot the easiest way required climbing through, over, under and around dozens of massive fallen mountain ash,” he said.
“The Dandenong Ranges National Park is CLOSED for very good reasons.
“Stretches of track up to 100m in length are impassable and you have to go well off track to get around. Throughout, there are widowmakers, hang-ups, killer trees just waiting to drop. You won’t even hear a limb coming, you’ll simply be gone, crushed.
“And yet, on this one track, we passed maybe 20 or 30 other people, walking in groups. All just having a great old time, risking their lives and those of the people who have to go in there and drag them out.“
Ambulance Victoria was contacted for comment.
Bushwalkers are advised to stay away until the park is deemed safe, which could be a number of months.
