A woman and two children were rescued overnight after they became lost near the Dillys Dam in the Jarrahwood State Forest, near Upper Capel, on October 27.
The woman was camping in the area with her two children, 3 and 5 years old, when, around lunch time, the three of them went for a walk on a trail.
The rescue particularly hit home in the Peel region, as an SES spokesperson confirmed the family was from Mandurah.
A family member who was at the camp site was concerned when they did not return by 3pm and went looking for them.
After an initial search on foot, the family member conducted a second search on a quad bike.
The alarm was raised with South West police just after 6pm and several officers from Bunbury, Harvey and Donnybrook were deployed to the search area.
The RAC Rescue Helicopter was deployed, and State Emergency Service volunteers were requested to be ready to search at first light this morning.
The woman and her children were located by the police search team just before 1am on October 28.
The woman and children appeared to be fatigued and dehydrated.
They had become lost on the track and could not find their way back to the camp site.
St John Ambulance attended and provided medical assistance.
A WA Police Force spokesman said this incident highlighted the importance of carrying extra supplies of water and safety gear even when only planning on going for a short walk in bushland.
“In this situation a Personal Locator Beacon could have been used to alert authorities to the fact the woman and children were in danger,” they said.
“The beacon would not only alert authorities to the situation, but provide the exact coordinates of where the missing stranded people are – which means the time taken to rescue them is a lot less.
“Even highly experienced bushwalkers who are familiar with the area they are in can experience unexpected trouble so we recommend anyone planning camping or bushwalking activities consider just how important a Personal Locator Beacon can be for them.”
- Bunbury Mail
