The number of treasure seekers who continue to go missing in the Outback has prompted the Western Australian Government to launch a major safety campaign.
There have also been two major searches in the state so far this prospecting season, which has cost thousands of dollars in taxpayers’ money. Twenty-two prospectors have gone missing in the last two and a half years. Last year, a 46-year-old man died near Menzies following a month-long search.
The new campaign aims to not only save lives but reduce the impact on police and emergency services.
Mines Minister Bill Marmion told the ABC that more than 3,000 miners’ rights licenses issued so far this year, more people may go missing unless they are well-prepared.
He said the new campaign encourages people to always carry a personal locater beacon.
“They’re very small, they can fit in your pocket and even if you’re getting out of your car, put it in your pocket as you go out,” he said. “Last year we had about 12 cases and one prospector who went missing did have a personal locator beacon on them and we found them within about four hours.”
Peter O’Shaughnessy sparked an extensive search after becoming lost in the Goldfields in May during an impromptu prospecting trip north-east of Kalgoorlie.
He told the ABC that he was urging anyone travelling in remote areas to carry a tracking device and personal locator.
“If I’d had the GPS I’d have just gone straight back to the car, they’re the simplest things in the world to use,” he said. “I’d recommend anyone going bush even just down the Bibbulmun track or somewhere, take one with you, they’re not expensive, they’re easy to use, and they’ll guarantee that you’ll go back to where you started.”
He also urged prospectors to get maps, get themselves familiar with the area, take a GPS … and not to kid themselves that they couldn’t get lost.
* Do you carry a personal locator beacon? Has it helped you? Comment below
I used to carry a GPS… I no longer fossick but when I travel in my motorhome and because I may be away from the internet at time I carry a Satellite Messenger… its called SPOT… Cheap insurance and if you can see the sky you can send a message… I have it configured to automatically send emails and post to my Facebook… It also has an SOS button if I get into serious strife….
I have applied to the state gov. Wa.for a rebate for my plb.seniors are able to be reimbursed for personal safety devises?