Emergency services are working to recover the bodies of two women who died in the Victorian high country.
The bodies of the women were found by hikers near a remote hut at Nelse, about 400km north-east of Melbourne, on Friday afternoon. Their deaths are not considered to be suspicious, police said.
Police were first called after two hikers found the bodies near Cleve Cole hut about 12.50pm.
“Uniform officers, along with the search and rescue squad and air wing, responded and made their way to the isolated scene,” Victorian police said in a statement late on Friday.
“At this stage the identity of the women is not known but it appears the pair, believed aged in their 20s or 30s, may have been in the area to hike and camp.
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“Police are appealing for information from the public to assist in identifying those involved as we are not aware of any current missing person reports.”
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Due to the conditions and isolated location, police camped at the scene on Friday night. Emergency services were expected to recover the bodies of the women from Mount Bogong on Saturday.
Police are expected to provide an update on the deaths on Saturday afternoon.
Tasmanian police also conducted a major extraction operation on Friday, after the death of a woman in a rafting trip on the Franklin River.
In a statement, Tasmanian police said search and rescue teams completed an operation to rescue 11 people stranded deep in the Tasmanian world heritage wilderness area.
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Tasmanian search and rescue teams conducting a rescue operation above the Franklin River. Photograph: Tasmania police
“Tasmania police search and rescue officers, helicopter resources and Ambulance Tasmania wilderness paramedics were involved in the treatment and retrieval of the group on Friday, near the Livingston Rivulet and the Coruscades rapid on the Franklin River.
“With permission from her family, sadly Tasmania police can today confirm a 49-year-old woman from southern Tasmania drowned on Thursday afternoon.
“Initial investigations indicate her raft flipped, and she was caught in rapids.”
No other members of the group – which included the woman’s partner – suffered serious physical injuries, police said.
Investigations are continuing but it is believed the group of friends were from Tasmania and interstate and had experience in the outdoors.
