Tracking reminder after prospectors go missing
The disappearance of two prospectors in a remote part of Western Australia has prompted a call for more safety gear.
Reports say prospectors Jennie and Raymond Kehlet were last seen two weeks ago prospecting near Sandstone in WA’s Goldfields region, over 700 kilometres north-east of Perth.
Mounted police, fixed-wing aircraft and emergency services volunteers have aided the search.
Police and State Emergency Services (SES) have combed mine shafts and other areas around the town, and Sandstone Shire president Beth Walton says the search remains “challenging”.
“The bush is a very harsh environment, it's just so easy to get lost,” she told the ABC.
“I've lived up here all my life and I know myself, if I was to go out - especially on a cloudy day - and I wasn't aware of my surroundings, I could get lost very easily.”
She said the incident shows the value of strong safety precautions.
“People should always carry a personal beacon locater, which is just a small EPIRB [Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon] that can fit in their pocket or a satellite spot, which tells you and your family and friends, exactly where you are,” she said.
“When you go out, always tell someone exactly where you're going to be and making a time to call in if you are camping out in the bush.”
Mr Kehlet's daughter Charmaine Battista told reporters she was “very worried and concerned about what's happening” but “trying to remain hopeful”.
“He's grown up in the country and we've done a lot of things out bush and things like that so he definitely knows his stuff and what to do when he's out there.
“They're extremely experienced campers and they like to spend a lot of time out in the bush and doing things out there.
“I'm hoping that they've gone out, they've got lost, they're not quite sure where they are and they're just waiting for someone to find them,” she said.