THREDBO, NSW. — The Alpine Way, which winds its way through the Snowy Mountains, was originally built as a service road during the construction of the Murray 1 and 2 hydroelectric power stations in the 1950s.
After the completion of Murray 1 and 2, the Snowy Mountains Authority added landfill and upgraded the road.
Around 11:30pm on the night of July 30, 1997, the road collapsed from the pressure of heavy rain, melting snow and the waterlogged landfill. The Carinya Lodge was pushed down onto the Bimbadeen Lodge, killing 18 staff.
Rescue work continued for days as emergency workers looked for survivors, but found only bodies.
Their efforts were hampered by the severe instability of the area following the collapse. Flattened walls and slabs of concrete flooring made the operation dangerous.
Finally, miraculously, one man was found alive. Skiing instructor Stuart Diver had been trapped between two huge concrete slabs, beside the body of his wife Sally, who had died in the accident.
Amidst the tragedy of eighteen lives lost, the hope of saving this one life made all the difference to the rescue workers, and to the thousands of Australians who had stayed glued to their television sets as the saga unfolded.
