Hikers fined for breaching exercise limit after becoming lost in dense bushland in ACT

A pair of hikers have been fined for exercising longer than permitted after they became lost in dense bushland in the ACT, resulting in them having to be rescued.

A man and a woman – aged 28 and 24 respectively – rang triple zero just before 4.30pm on Saturday after they realised they were lost in bushland in the Coree area.

The pair was able to provide police with their coordinates, however, due to the thickness of the terrain, Search and Rescue as well as ACT SES crews were sent to guide the hikers to safety.

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The hikers were eventually located almost four hours later at about 8.20pm. They were escorted safely back to their vehicle.

Both received a fine for exercising longer than permitted under ACT's current public health orders which allows for one hour.

Officer in Charge ACT Road Policing, Detective Inspector Donna Hofmeier said the incident was a disruption to police's more important work.

"These people went looking for a loophole in the COVID-19 regulations and will receive a fine for breaching the public health directions," Detective Inspector Hofmeier said.

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"The COVID rules in the ACT are clear, they allow for one hour of outdoor exercise a day. These people had planned a 12-kilometre hike, which would obviously take more than an hour to complete.

Ms Hofmeier said the pair "were insufficiently equipped" for the hike, making it "almost inevitable things would go wrong".

"Once they called for help, considerable police and emergency service resources were required to locate them and get them to safety," she said.

"I hope this serves as a lesson, not just to these hikers, but to the whole community at this time."