A bushwalker who completed the same Blue Mountains walking trail where a father and son died said that conditions were "fine" just two days earlier.
A British father, 49, and his nine-year-old-son were killed by a landslip on the Wentworth Pass trail shortly after 1:30pm on Monday, April 4, 2022.
The rockfall also critically injured the mother, 50, and a second boy, aged 14, who were air lifted just before 6pm and flown to Westmead Hospital and The Children's Hospital at Westmead, both in a critical condition.
Bushwalk blogger Greg Thannos, 63, completed the Wentworth Pass trail with a friend on Saturday, April 2 - just two days before the deadly landslide.
The Wentworth Pass trail is described as a steep, rough track with many obstacles and is rated Grade Four for experienced bushwalkers by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Grade Five is the highest level.
Mr Thannos said "conditions looked great" with slightly overcast weather when he completed the trail on Saturday.
"There were a few trails closed but this trail [the Wentworth Pass trail] honestly looked fine. I wouldn't have thought anything wrong with it. I know there has been a lot of rain but there was no indication of anything. It wasn't even soggy underfoot," he said.
The bushwalker said the waterfalls were flowing freely due to recent rain but were not excessive, while the track itself was fine although it was "not overly well-maintained" due to being a less travelled route.
"That's what you expect with tracks that are a little bit out there and not too many people go on. But overall, it was good. Nothing that I would have thought was dangerous," he said.
Mr Thannos was uploading a video of his walk to Facebook on Monday when news broke of the deadly landslide, which he described as a "sheer tragedy".
"It's no one's fault. People always want to blame people after this but it's just a terrible tragedy. Who's to know when something is going to happen? I just really, really feel sorry for these people," he said.
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An NPWS spokesperson said the Wentworth Pass track was inspected as part of a "routine track assessment program" just days before Monday's landslide.
Tracks in the Wentworth Falls precinct of the national park are closed until further notice while the entirety of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park will be closed from 9am on Wednesday, April 6 except for Govetts Leap and Evans lookout in Blackheath.
"The site (at Wentworth Falls) is currently closed and a comprehensive review will be undertaken," said the spokeswoman.
The spokeswoman did not say how long the closures would remain in place. The national park attracts millions of visitors from around Australia and the world each year. Prior to COVID-19, in 2019, 4.6 million travelled to the Mountains west of Sydney, according to Destination NSW.
The British family of five were walking along the Wentworth Pass track at Wentworth Falls at about 1.40pm on Monday when rocks dislodged from the wall above them.
The landslip killed the father, 49, and a son, nine, at the scene. The mother, 50, and another son, 14, were critically injured and winched from the location just before 6pm on Monday and taken to Westmead Hospital.
The family's 15-year-old daughter, in an extremely distressed state, was eventually led out on foot by emergency service workers and treated by ambulance paramedics for shock before being transferred to Westmead Children's Hospital.
Shivé Prema
I am a video journalist and host of the Newcastle Herald TikTok account! I spend most of my days filming and editing videos but also like to write articles as well. I'm new to Newcastle, so I like to spend my spare time exploring this city and its many beaches.
I am a video journalist and host of the Newcastle Herald TikTok account! I spend most of my days filming and editing videos but also like to write articles as well. I'm new to Newcastle, so I like to spend my spare time exploring this city and its many beaches.
