Teenager dead, boyfriend fighting for life after fall on Sunshine Coast hinterland mountain
Updated . First published at
An 18-year-old woman has died and her boyfriend is fighting for life after the pair fell while hiking in the Glasshouse Mountains on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
The woman's helpless sister could do nothing but watch as the hikers plunged down a cliff face on Mount Beerwah on Sunday at about 10.30am.
The woman suffered severe injuries after falling about 60 metres and died at the scene.
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One teenager is dead and another is fighting for life after the pair fell while hiking in the Glasshouse Mountains on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Nine
Her boyfriend, also 18, fell about 90 metres and suffered critical head injuries.
He was flown to hospital after paramedics arrived and was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital, where he was fighting for life.
"Two hikers, or climbers, had fallen, from the mountain whilst descending," Senior Sergeant Kylie McLellan said.
Search and rescue teams climbed up the mountain to ensure the safety of the other climber, who was uninjured but suffering from shock.
"The falls occurred as a result of some late rain that made the terrain extremely slippery," McLellan said.
" ... It's an extraordinarily sad and tragic accident today."
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The mountain has been closed to the public for nearly a week after heavy rainfall in south-east Queensland had made the area unsafe for walking.
"This closure is a precautionary measure following high rainfall events," a statement on the Queensland Parks and Forests website said.
"The risk of large rockfall above the summit route is much higher after heavy rain."
There is signage in the area highlighting that the mountain is closed to the public.
The closure was set to be lifted tomorrow, but it is not known if it will now be extended due to today's accident.
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