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Experts are calling for popular tropical attractions to be closed in the event of dangerous conditions, after a woman was swept away in distress at Mossman Gorge in far north Queensland.
The search for the 54-year-old woman, which began on Friday, was still ongoing on Monday as police divers combed the water for her. On Monday afternoon, police confirmed the operation had become a recovery mission.
Mossman Gorge is known to be treacherous year-round and it was particularly dangerous due to recent rainfall when the incident occurred. Visitors were warned against swimming in the gorge at the time.
According to Professor Richard Franklin, an expert in inland water safety and a public health academic at James Cook University in Townsville, it is possible that there may be times when it is too dangerous for people to visit rainforest gorges in north Queensland. However, he encourages people to visit them and recreate around the water in the area.
Dr Amy Peden, a water safety expert and researcher at the University of New South Wales, believes that when the current is very strong and the water is very high, it may be necessary to close the site for a period of time to keep people safe. This advice is supported by JCU doctoral researcher Steven Schwartz, who also believes a "big stick approach" is not the most effective way of preventing tragedies from occurring.
Instead, Schwartz suggests an approach that is more education-based, as many people are likely to take risks regardless. People should be taught to recognize dangerous water conditions and informed of places they can swim safely. He also believes that more people will die from diabetes-related health issues than drowning in the outdoors.
The state’s environment department confirmed that Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services carry out extensive water safety and compliance measures within its national parks, including regular patrols, issuing fines, installing barriers and signage, and closing areas in severe weather events.
However, Cath Russell, a tourist who visited Mossman Gorge four days before the accident, witnessed another woman being rescued from the water and asserted that warning signs were very clear. Dr Peden agreed that warning signs are not enough to stop people from taking risks, as many visitors have already traveled a long distance and will not decide not to swim in the water.
The three experts concluded that the tourism industry needs to do more to actively warn visitors about potential risks and that messages should be more sophisticated due to the continued climate crisis. Electronic warning signs on the road and automatic text messages to inform travelers of conditions ahead should be considered.