Police have recovered the bodies of two women who died in blizzard conditions in the Victorian high country. The bodies were found by hikers near a remote hut at Nelse, about 400km north-east of Melbourne, on Friday afternoon. Their deaths are not considered suspicious.
Inspector Paul Hargreaves said temperatures in the area had dropped to -2.8 degrees Celsius, with winds of 83km/h and snow falling. He described the conditions as 'blizzard conditions' and said the women likely died from severe hypothermia. It is believed they may have been there for two or three days.
Police are working to identify the women, believed to be in their 20s or 30s, and are appealing for anyone who saw two women appearing disoriented and not dressed adequately earlier this week to contact Crime Stoppers. It is not yet known how long they had been on the mountain.
In a separate incident, Tasmanian police confirmed the death of a 49-year-old woman who drowned during a rafting trip on the Franklin River. Her raft flipped, and she was caught in rapids. The rest of the group, including her partner, were rescued without serious injury.
