The Scenic Rim is one of the natural jewels of Australia, known for its stunning mountains, lakes and hiking trails which attract thousands of visitors every year.
But some of those visitors can find themselves in trouble, lost or injured in falls on the often steep and rugged terrain. That's when the members of the Scenic Rim State Emergency Service come to the rescue.
Volunteers like veteran Boonah-based Graham Stumer with 39 years of service under his belt, who has taken part in 47 mountain search and rescues in the past year alone but has lost count of how many he has done over the years.
Recently awarded Queensland SES Member of the Year for the south-east region, Graham enjoys knowing he is doing something for his community.
He joined the SES after being invited to a meeting by the local controller.
"I saw there were new things to learn and new challenges and I thought it would be interesting and I would be doing something for the community," he said.
While the mountain search and rescue role is one of the major rescue activities of the Scenic Rim volunteers, they also deal with floods and storms and support firefighters during major bushfires.
"The biggest thing we get are people going into the mountains not sufficiently prepared for where they are going," Graham said. On the evening before he spoke with The Senior the group was called out to two rescues.
Graham's son and daughter have followed him into the SES with his daughter a former local controller for the Scenic Rim now working at the regional office.
