Two hikers have been rescued from a cliff ledge in the Kosciuszko National Park in a ‘unique’ and challenging rescue operation.

The hikers contacted emergency services on Tuesday, 24 February, after a multi-day hiking trip in the park ended with the pair stuck on a rock in the Geehi area.

Fourteen Snowy River Unit SES volunteers responded following a request for assistance from NSW Police Force.

NSW SES volunteers from the Alpine Search and Rescue Unit, Snowy River Unit and Queanbeyan Unit, alongside other emergency service partners, responded and began assisting in the search and retrieval of two female hikers at Geehi.

The hikers were able to provide their GPS coordinates and were well prepared with food, water and suitable clothing after unexpected weather rolled through the mountains.

Working through the night in challenging conditions, the volunteers battled thick fog and poor visibility as they carried out a 350-metre vertical rescue to reach the pair.

After nearly 24 hours in the bush, strong inter-agency coordination combined with the hikers’ preparedness, ensured all members of the group were located and safely retrieved the next day.

SES Snowy River Unit commander, Malika Bailey, said the hikers were on an overnight adventure, and found themselves stranded on a ledge of a cliff.

“The two hikers called for help, and we got activated and after locating the hikers it turned out to be a vertical rescue in tough conditions which meant a multi-agency rescue was needed,” Ms Bailey said.

“The rescue was carried out in the Watsons Craig area, a treacherous terrain and quite remote area of the park.

“We got activated late afternoon and had to enact this rescue in darkness and the weather conditions were awful. We had severe weather warnings coming through, including strong wind, heavy rain, heavy fog, and very poor visibility. We went through to the following day where we discovered we would need to conduct a 350-metre vertical rescue mission.”

Ms Bailey said the hikers did the right thing in calling for help and having the proper equipment to keep themselves safe while waiting for emergency services.

“Volunteers had many components of extraction to deal with including a component of four-wheel driving, a component of walking while carrying heavy rescue equipment, then enacting a 350-metre vertical rescue all while battling extreme conditions.”