Missing prospectors

First topic message reminder :

Two prospectors missing on channel 9 news
No more imfo.

Had a bloke here from Sandstone yesterday & thats what he said... I'll look into it further....

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/goldfields/a/29591519/missing-prospectors-found-safe/

Missing prospectors found safe

Gabrielle Knowles and Claire Tyrrell
September 21, 2015, 6:41 pm

A Merredin couple who went missing while prospecting in the Goldfields have been found safe and well.

Terry Chrisp, 52, and his 49-year-old wife Jacqueline last contacted family on Monday, September 14, when they were near the town of Menzies.



Leonora Police confirmed the couple were found safe this evening just before 6pm.

Police said the couple had travelled with a Personal Locating Beacon from which a text message was sent on a regular basis to designated people. On this occasion it appeared the messages had failed to send and the couple were unaware of the search being conducted.

The Chrisps thanked police and everyone for their efforts in locating them.

WA Police remind everyone to make personal safety a priority when traveling in remote areas, and regularly test safety equipment prior to and whilst travelling.

Seems they did the right thing but the "Spot" Tracker system failed to transmit their messages?.

I've always thought that Spot is good for letting people know your OK or in trouble but in a real life or death emergency - a 406Mhtz EPIRB would probably be a safer bet.

Where the SPOT might be better (if it works) is say in a life threatening event where times of the essence you MIGHT be able to text "Bit bye dugite send antivenine with paramedic and evac chopper pls".

Rather than wait for a rescuer to find you from your EPIRB to then only have to turn around and order the actual services and treatment required & have to then wait for it - while your busy dying.

Maybe the answers have everything... Sat Phones, Spot and Epirb, RFDS radio - the "ol Magilla Gorilla "Spare for the Spare, For the Spare" backup plan!.

You can never be over prepared for emergency.

YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).

I don't think they have any more evidence then they did before,I doubt anything has changed other then the public interest.
WAPOL need to be seen doing "Something" so they do this to try ease the minds of the masses.
My bet is they will come to the same conclusion, but now they have more DNA to add to their database.

Medina 63yo is being questioned

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-03/man-questioned-over-missing-wa-prospectors/6909040

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/29984760/property-searched-in-kehlet-probe/

I thought it said on the news that it was the same bloke that was camped with them.

au-fever

Yes, it is now confirmed;

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/29984760/property-searched-in-kehlet-probe/

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/kehlet-mystery-man-questioned-by-police-released-without-charge/news-story/60305f675e60c67321d5ea5230c77a3c

With the police calling off the search for 2 missing people north of esperence...

Then being found by concerned friends... god bless em...

One feels the need to bring up this subject again....

You have to ask the question.... is serious police work is sadly lacking in this state.... ?

And are they more concerned wirth revenue raising on our highways than stopping crime ?

Quote from WALOL...

Police defend stopping search for missing campers

Police have defended suspending the search on Wednesday, leaving volunteers to carrying on looking for them.

"The reason for that was we had a lot of information that was coming in from that public that we had to sift through," Inspector Colfer said.

"Also there was some information that came through on one of the towers and obviously we were waiting on data for that."

Inspector Colfer said there will be a full review of the operation.

"We will look at the ways that we have done our business in relation to our policy and if there is anything that needs to be worked on in relation to that and looked at then we will definitely have a look at that," he said.

If ya get lost and don't wanta be found then get the Police t organize the search.

And you also have to ask yourselves, why didn't they have a PLB ??
would have saved a lot of searching.
It's people like them that ruin things for the rest of us. I got no sympathy for them being lost, it's absolute stupidity in this day and age.

Bignuggs wrote:And you also have to ask yourselves, why didn't they have a PLB ??
would have saved a lot of searching.
It's people like them that ruin things for the rest of us.  I got no sympathy for them being lost, it's absolute stupidity in this day and age.

The authorities are copping unwarranted flak for calling off the search, obviously the outcome is a happy ending.
Bignuggs wraps it up in his opening comment.

Totally agree Bignuggs

In all seriousness..... how many amongst us has a PLB?

But you are correct in what you say maybe they should make it mandatary with a miners right... more paperwork!

Yes letting people know of your intended where abouts is essential. The people involved drew a rough mud map of where they would be and is what the friends followed to find them.... I assume WALPOL were in the loop.

They have a hard job to do I admit but the care factor seems to be zero.... unless you are driving a motor car.

I guess I am just a little concerned that there is still a murderer at large in the Goldfields.. where is he/she now?

I think that some blokes should get their facts straight. The Esperance couple were not lost! They were reported as missing due to a vehicle breakdown. They were experienced campers who knew exactly where they were!

Certainly, had they carried a PLB their location would have been picked up sooner, but to criticise anyone who wants to get a little off the beaten track for not having a PLB is a bit much. As Viper says "In all seriousness..... how many amongst us has a PLB? "

I have a PLB, but would not like to see them made mandatory to holding a Miners Right.

Col

Ok so they were missing not lost but it does appear they had no means of communicating with the outside world or they would have been found earlier.
It would have saved a lot of search time and it surely makes sense to have a PLB, I've got one but hope I never have to use it.

Not to mention the extreme stress their family and friends were enduring during the 10 days they weren't lost. It was very fortunate they were experienced travellers and had ample food and water to aid their survival for 10 days. Not a gambling man but I'd bet London to a brick that when they head off for their next trip a PLB/EPIRB will be in their inventory.

Also hopeful that we never have to rely on our safety back up to get us home.
Have a HF radio (VKS-737) (bought before mobiles hit the shelf), marine smoke flares and in 2015 purchased a GPS EPIRB. (Registered for both land & sea.)

It is inevitable PLB's will become compulsory and rightfully so.

Isn't it amazing how so many people have a problem with spending 300 bucks for a bit of kit that WILL save your life if needed but have no problem spending 700 to 1200 bucks for a phone.
And yes I have a PLB.

The question was asked about how many of us have PLB's

I have two. One in the car for my partner if she is out there and one in my detector back pack.

I have been prospecting for 15 years and have never had any issues(touch wood).

As far as I am concerned if you don't take a PLB with you, you are of poor judgement.

Same here. One for me, one for the Boss.

Regards

With all the experts here i have not heard mention of a sat phone, just a thought.

Gail and I have just completed the season - 7 months in the van.
We go to some remote places.
We have a PLB each, A GPS each, a laptop with live GPS data, GE, DMP data etc, mounted in vehicle.
A handheld UHF each and 1 in the vehicle and a base station in the van with external speaker.
We have a mobile phone each (our town smartphones - mainly used for photos and video in the bush), a dedicated car mobile (bush phone) attached to a 6.5db bullbar antenna, which then goes in the van at night, attached to a 6m high 10db antenna and a Thurya satsleeve, if required (used with our town phones).
I think were pretty covered for comms.........?

Yes I reckon you do Fkyrock.

I am only just starting out and I have a PLB and Gps along with a first aid kit. That lives in my Hydration pack and goes with me everywhere. I also tell someone which direction I am heading and approximate time I will be back. I also have a GPS tablet and a sat nav in the car. In time I will add a Sat phone as I prefer to be on my own.

Problem with a sat phone is the ongoing cost. The PLB has no ongoing cost. If you use your sat phone for help you will be giving your location details. I do that with the PLB by simply activating it and as I said, no ongoing cost.

Thanks Jack, I guess its a matter of safety if I get luckier out there then a sat phone would only get used under the utmost of emergencies.