Gnowangerup Police, DFES State Emergency Service, St John Ambulance and DBCA Parks and Wildlife Service Rangers successfully located and rescued a man from a track at Bluff Knoll on Friday night, 21 May 2021.
About 7:15pm Police received a call from two men alerting them to an emergency situation. The men, brothers aged in their 50s and 60s, had been walking on a track when the man aged in his 50s experienced joint seizure in his knees and hips. The man was not able to continue walking.
Police advised the two men to remain together where they were and emergency services were deployed.
Upon arrival at the car park Police were met by the older of the two men. He had made his way to the car park on his own, however had fallen in the darkness and received a head injury along the way. He was provided emergency first aid until St John Ambulance arrived, and was subsequently taken to hospital by St John Ambulance while the rescue operation for the younger of the two men commenced.
The stranded man was located a short time later, about 1km from the car park, and DFES State Emergency Service volunteers carried the man in a stretcher to an ambulance. He was subsequently taken to hospital.
Sergeant Randall MOULDEN, Officer in Charge of Gnowangerup Police, said the incident serves as a reminder to hikers and other people planning on tackling nature trails to ensure they were well prepared.
"Tracks and trails can be demanding, and even slight changes in terrain can catch people off-guard and result in injury and possibly leave a hiker in need of rescuing. It is important that anyone who is planning on going hiking ensures they are physically fit and equipped to deal with any terrain they may face. Even the best prepared person can find themselves in trouble, so having access to a mobile phone and Personal Locator Beacon at a minimum is critical to being able to alert authorities to being in distress.
"Mobile phones won't work everywhere, so make sure you have a plan B, such as a Personal Locator Beacon, and remember in bad weather you may end up spending time waiting for rescuers to arrive so ensure you have sufficient water, food and clothing to keep you going while you remain stranded."
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