Prevention

People go missing for several reasons, whether it is due to being cognitively impaired, getting lost on a hike, being swept off the rocks while fishing, becoming immobilised in a remote location, disorientated whilst prospecting, abducted whilst in public, or gone somewhere to suicide.

Whatever the case may be there are always strategies to avoid becoming a Missing Person. The following are some suggestions, solutions, and practices to help mitigate this risk.

Dementia and Autism Spectrum Disorders

If the time comes when someone in your family has been diagnosed with a dementia related illness or Autism Spectrum Disorder, there may be a requirement to have more situational awareness of their habits and whereabouts.

There are several 4G GPS trackers that are readily available through DVA and NDIS. These are an effective tool for carers and family to monitor their whereabouts.

Life Smartwatch

Shop (Medical Alarms) - National Health Australia

Safe & Found (safeandfound.org.au)

Safe and Found is an organisation introduced by the Western Australian Police to assist them in identifying and locating those who are considered at risk of becoming lost or reported missing.

Rock Fishers

Rock fishing and Land Based Game fishing can be a dangerous sport.

Take your time to choose a safe fishing ledge. Monitor the swell and rhythm of the ocean. Know the tide change and weather forecast.
Wear a life jacket and carry a PLB on the belt.
If you get wet on the rocks, reassess and move locations.
Never turn your back on the ocean.

If you get swept off the rocks

Protect your head
Swim away from the wash around the rocks
Inflate your life jacket
Assess and swim to a calm access point like the beach or lee side of a rock.
If you must access back to a rock, approach feet first.

Hikers and Bushwalkers

Research and plan your hike, be equipped for the season, weather, and terrain. Advise a friend or family where you are going and when you expect to return.

Basic equipment recommended for a day hike/bushwalk.

Snake Bite First Aid Kit
Whistle
Snacks
Mobile phone, charged with screenshots of trail.
Water bottles or camel bak bladder
Backpack or Camel bak

For the more adventurous and experienced hikers.

First Aid Kit / Trauma kit
Satellite messenger or Personal Locater Beacon
Battery Pack Fully charged.
Walking poles (These can double as splints)

If you become lost whilst hiking or Bushwalking.

Remain on the track and move to high open ground and stay there.
Try communications from high places.
Leave visible sign like broken twigs, disturb the soil, footprints.
Move to the open area at night, Thermal can be hindered by Vegetation.
If you see or hear a search aircraft, move to the open, increase your surface area visible to the aircraft.
Use a whistle or squeal periodically to attract attention.

ZOLEO® Seamless Connectivity Beyond Cell Coverage - Australia

For Information, tips and advice on Hiking and Bushwalking in Australia, visit Australian Hiker.

Prospectors

Trilobite solutions have an Australian Geography travel app that has the capability of offline mapping. It can track your prospect and get you back to your start point.

Satellite message devices and Personal Locating Beacon are a good investment that can save a life.
A GPS is great but remember to waypoint your start location.

Obtain your permits and permissions so that your area of prospecting is known to authorities.

If you become lost whilst prospecting.

Stay where you are. You may walk away from the Search and Rescue Operation
Try to remain in the open, if weather allows.
If extreme heat is a hazard, seek shade during the day, but move to the open area after dark. Thermal signature can be hindered by vegetation.
If you see or hear a search aircraft, move to the open, increase your surface area visible to the aircraft.

Satellite Communicator | inReach® | Garmin

Safety in Public

If you enjoy exercising in Public, consider these recommendations to increase your situational awareness and safety.

Safety in numbers or if alone exercise in busy places.
Advise family or friend of your activities.
If you wear ear buds or any other ear devices, use only 1.
Don’t be afraid to look at oncoming persons or vehicles, what you see may assist police if something happens behind you.
Make a point of being seen on CCTV, some cities and towns are working towards facial recognition, this will increase your chances of Police gaining a last known location if something happens to you.
Park under a streetlight and avoid loitering in low light areas.

Spacetalk - Connected and Safe Families

Online dating

If dating sites is your way of meeting people, consider this. Police can get text message data quite quickly in a Missing Persons case. The issue with the various social media platforms is they are based in the U.S or other foreign countries, so cross-border legal issues add some friction with obtaining warrants and permissions, which can delay the investigation.

Meet in a public place.
Be aware of and make use of CCTV.
Advise a friend of who and where you are meeting.

Best Personal Alarm: Rechargeable and Powerful – TrailSurvivor

Suicidal Ideation / Mental health

At some stage of our lives, you or someone you know will go through some form of Mental health illness. While most can get through it, unfortunately many don’t and turn to Suicide.

Whilst suicide may ease the pain of the suffering it does leave behind several unanswered questions when the person is not located.

Some of the issues that arise from not being located after Suicide are.

Family cannot get closure and have a funeral.
Family and friends endure suffering during the prolonged search.
Search members can be at risk of injury or death whilst searching.

Australia has numerous programs, organisations and foundations that are available 24/7.

If you or someone you know are suffering from mental health illnesses or has suicide ideation, please reach out to any of the links below.

Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling
Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14 - Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention.
Police Care Australia - Mental health resources for police
Mental health counselling | Suicide Call Back Service
Home | Head to Health
Beyond Blue | 24/7 Support for Anxiety, Depression and Suicide Prevention - Beyond Blue
A conversation could change a life | R U OK?

4WD Touring

Planning to go touring out and about in remote locations? Safety and preparation should be at the forefront of your planning. Have the essentials to help you survive and be located should you or your vehicle become immobilised.

First Aid kit. Refresh on your First aid particular for the area of Australia you are in.
Carry supplies for your trip plus 3 days emergency rations.
A PLB, Satellite Messenger or EPIRB are a great investment.
- PLB and EPIRBs are for Life threatening Emergencies.
- Satellite Messengers can communicate to friends or family via text messages.
- Sat Phones are good if you know where you are.
Reliable self-recovery equipment, consider a 4wd Recovery Course.
Stay with your vehicle. Your vehicle will be found before you.
956 registered UHF CB Repeaters are located around Australia.
- Australian UHF CB Repeater Map
- Scan and listen for traffic.
Have a mapping solution that works offline or a paper map.

If you become immobilised or lost whilst touring.

Stay with your vehicle. From the air, your vehicle is approximately 12msq surface area. A human body is approximately 50cm sq.
Scan your UHF periodically for traffic.
Run your vehicle for a period (10mins) after sunset, this will warm the engine bay to increase the thermal signature for the AMSA Challenger Aircraft or other Thermal air assets.
Charge any mobile phone, torches or batteries during this time.
“SOS”, “HELP” written large in Sand, or a clear area can be seen from the Air.

Alpine and Snow

Planning a trip to the Snow or Alpine region?

Alpine regions in Australia can be very unpredictable and weather can change fast, bringing storms and or Snow at any time of the year.

Here are some factors to consider when planning a trip to these regions.

Have a plan for your trip.

· Courses of actions.

· Safety equipment.

· Bivy Bag, Space Blanket.

· Supplies plus 10%.

· Who knows where you are going and when you will return?

Check weather forecasts.

· Snow can occur in these areas any time of the year.

· Check often. Satellite communicators can get updated weather.

Whiteouts – a dense blizzard.

· Being stuck in a blizzard can cause disorientation, difficulty to see and to navigate.

· Stay where you are to avoid injuring yourself but keep moving to keep warm.

Hypothermia - When the bodies temperature drops below 35deg C.

· Stay dry.

· Keep moving by walking in little squares, star jumps, Shadow box.

· Cotton Kills, avoid wearing cotton as it attracts moisture.

· Woolen socks and underlayers reduces moisture.

· Have waterproof outer layers.

· DO NOT SLEEP. This is your vulnerable period where nature will claim you.

Frost Bite / Front Nip – The freezing of the body’s skin and tissues.

· Keep the fingers, toes and extremities warm and moving.

· Keep the head and neck, arm pits and groin, hands and feet warm. These areas are where core temperature escapes.

Dehydration

· Any activity you conduct will consume vitamins and minerals in your body, these need to be replaced.

· Just because its cold doesn’t mean your body doesn’t require hydration.

Search and Rescue

· Rescue windows can be minimal and sometimes impossible at certain times.

· Search teams and helicopter may not be able deploy during a “Whiteout”.

· Be prepared to wait it out.

Snow Blindness

· It is real. Wear sunglasses or goggles to reduce the strain on your eyes.

For more information on Alpine and General Survival skills, visit Outback Mike at his website Home -