Missing Prospectors & other Persons (WA) Western Australia

[XLOOX]

It makes you wonder if William had a radio at least the abc article showed he was only around 16 to 20km of the main drag in favourable weather

Always important to know where the next absolutely unmistakable road is and direction it takes (N-S , E-W).

Only reason I am not still lost since 1989 is that I knew the tarmac ran approx N-S and was about 7km W and just walked into the sun and then the sky glow until I hit it. Had to decide to go N or S but I got it right and its a damn sight easier walking down rhe tarmac at night than stumbling around the bush.
I had also regained composure knowing that worst comes to worst I would only have to walk back the other way from my MARKED point that I hit the tarmac.
Still took me 5 hrs to get back to car from when i realised I was bushed.

 

[Moneybox]

It makes you wonder if William had a radio at least the abc article showed he was only around 16 to 20km of the main drag in favourable weather

That might depend on the condition of the lake. He'd most likely see the highway traffic from there but the lake could have been too boggy to walk on. Being with his vehicle, lighting a fire might have been the best thing to do unless he had a health issue preventing him saving himself.

 

[Nightjar]

Tragic outcome with Billy. Hopefully the latest at Paynes Find will be found well.
I have an epirb permanently in ute. One device can be registered for both land & sea.
HF & UHF radio in ute, and carry portables with ute position logged in every time we move away.
Also have a set of marine flares.
Few scary moments, always on overcast days with sun hidden.

 

[Nightjar]

Made up a Yagi aerial back in early days when the old Telstra Mobile had an aerial port. Mobile service existed at most larger minesites. We could point the Yagi towards Thunderbox site about 30 kms away and get full mobile cover.

 

[grubstake]

He's in a camouflaged vehicle. I have enough trouble finding a purple bus in the bush. People say "Why do you wear hi-vis with an orange hat when you're prospecting?". I'm rarely in the same area as others and you never know when you might need help because of injury, snake bite or simply lost. I can't see the point in wearing camo gear.

He sure is - just look at that thing, unless you're trying to be invisible, that's a crazy vehicle for outback use IMO:
https://www.9news.com.au/national/w...ustralia/9756d36b-6b61-4b4e-9864-d2d1fc2ea33f

 

[Ausgold]

If not allowed here Amin please remove, Made in WA but appropriate anywhere. If carrying the gear you must know how to use it. Met a guy that got lost carrying a GPS who spent a night in the bush before being found because he didn't know how to use it properly.

 

[madmax800jw]

I've been detecting 20 years in WA and tell anyone with me to carry these life saving tools, even had to force some to learn how to use them.
Then I have been told I'm crazy as they know how to get back to camp without these tools.
You just can't fix stupid

 

[Moneybox]

If not allowed here Amin please remove, Made in WA but appropriate anywhere. If carrying the gear you must know how to use it. Met a guy that got lost carrying a GPS who spent a night in the bush before being found because he didn't know how to use it properly.

Excellent video. We've been in this situation many times where you know where camp is but simply cannot see it. As the video shows 50m away and you can walk right past it in broad daylight. Many years ago we came across a lady carrying her detector and walking a track down near Mertondale. We were new to the game so we stopped for a chat on the chance of picking up a clue or two. She'd had enough of the heat and was heading back to camp where her husband was detecting on the opposite side of a low ridge.

It was late morning and really starting to heat up so I offered her a lift. She said "Thanks but I'm only a few hundred metres from camp." I said "We must have just passed your husband but we didn't see him. Where are you camped?" She said "Right by the big white tank but I've been walking for a bit so I'm not to sure now."

She showed us her fancy little tracking device and explained that all she had to do was follow the arrow back to camp but the batteries were flat. At that stage she wasn't too worried because she was on the track and knew the camp wasn't too far off. She felt a bit put out when I tried to explain to her where the big white tank was. She was walking in the opposite direction and by that time was nearly a kilometer from camp. Even if she eventually realised she was heading the wrong way she was in danger of never making it back.

She accepted the lift and both were very appreciative. She promised to always carry spare batteries after that.

 

[geof_junk]

A mate of mine way back in 2008 had a GPS and a Radio. He got a good signal and started to dig up a nugget of about 12 gm that was down 10" or so. Because the ground was very hard he put his radio an GPS down in the shade while he dug the nugget. Once he got the nugget he got his radio and let us know of his find and was going to scan around the area. He got lost and could not find his GPS or his way back. I asked him if he had crossed the road we came in on. No was his reply. I was able to tell him to put the sun at his back and follow his shadow at the 2'oclock position to get him to the road with the shortest distant. The next day we went back to the area and found his GPS and was a Happy Chappy.

 

[Grey Panner]

I have misgivings about relying entirely on GPS while navigating in unknown territory. A person, using only the GPS is moving in a cocoon and may not be aware of the broader situation.
While I always carry a GPS and also a Personal Safety Beacon, I will not venture into unfamiliar territory without an ordnance survey map. There was a time when detailed maps of the whole of Australia were available from NATMAP and I would obtain maps in an appropriate scale for anywhere I intended to leave the beaten track. Because of the prevalence of GPS these maps are no longer available.
The benefit of having a map is that the whole district is spread out before you. The slope of the land can be seen, as can the position and direction of salient features such as hills, gullies. formed tracks and watercourses. Even when there are few salient features such as on an extensive scrub-covered plain, if the map is kept oriented to the right direction and the position of north can be established then navigation is still possible.
In over twenty years of remote- country fossicking I have had to resort to the GPS only once and then simply to convince a tourist that he was not where he thought he was.
While I recognize the value of technical aids to navigation, I insist on being able to do without them should the need arise. I like to know exactly where I stand in the big picture.

 

[wick p]

If not allowed here Amin please remove, Made in WA but appropriate anywhere. If carrying the gear you must know how to use it. Met a guy that got lost carrying a GPS who spent a night in the bush before being found because he didn't know how to use it properly.

Spot on. I tested myself once and decided not to use gps on return to car. Felt the panic start to set in when I couldn't locate the car even though I had gps location set. Car was about 200 metres away. Test yourself sometimes to revive your basic direction skills. Many of have lost our natural homing and direction skills I believe, and need to practice them.

 

[XLOOX]

Spot on. I tested myself once and decided not to use gps on return to car. Felt the panic start to set in when I couldn't locate the car even though I had gps location set. Car was about 200 metres away. Test yourself sometimes to revive your basic direction skills. Many of have lost our natural homing and direction skills I believe, and need to practice them.

Spot on. I tested myself once and decided not to use gps on return to car. Felt the panic start to set in when I couldn't locate the car even though I had gps location set. Car was about 200 metres away. Test yourself sometimes to revive your basic direction skills. Many of have lost our natural homing and direction skills I believe, and need to practice them.

Thread 'Where is the Car Now? Game' https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/threads/where-is-the-car-now-game.42034/

 

[Hippyty79]

There was a time when detailed maps of the whole of Australia were available from NATMAP and I would obtain maps in an appropriate scale for anywhere I intended to leave the beaten track. Because of the prevalence of GPS these maps are no longer available.

Have you tried Geoscience Australia portal.
https://portal.ga.gov.au/
Under administrative boundaries, then map sheets in the drop menu on the left.