Eddie SHACKLETON
Updated - ABC
Rescuers are yet to find any sign of Albany man Eddie Shackleton who is missing in the Stirling Range national park.
Well into the fourth day of searching, rescue workers say there is no trace of the 79-year-old hiker who was reported missing on Saturday.
An increasing number of personnel have been brought in for the search, including police, Fire and Emergency Services Authority staff and State Emergency Service volunteers.
A police helicopter and search dogs have also joined the operation.
Those looking for him include his friend Peter who was the last person to hear from Mr Shackleton when he phoned from the park to say he was feeling unwell.
He has told police Mr Shackleton was an experienced hiker and was carrying supplies, including thermal clothing, and knew how to access water from streams.
Yesterday, police narrowed the search down to a small area, covering a four-square kilometre area of bushland near Bluff Knoll in the park.
Sergeant Dave Murphy said the difficult terrain has hampered the search.
"The bush area itself on the ground is extraordinarily dense," he said.
"There are areas of tall timbers but it's scrappy ground, it's very thick underbrush, it's very difficult traversing it. And, there's a number of creek beds and valleys and sudden drop-offs, wash-outs and small cliff faces that are difficult to see through the bush.
"It's difficult to see through the bush. It's that difficult that, if the gentleman was sitting three metres away, you'd walk straight past him unless he actually called out to you."
Volunteers from Bunbury and Perth have been called in to bolster the operation.
Police remain optimistic they will find Mr Shackleton before sundown today.
Updated - ABC
SES volunteers, police and fire and emergency service crews are yet to find any trace of a 79 year-old man missing in the Striling Range National Park.
The search has just wrapped up its fifth day.
Eddie Shackleton has been missing since Saturday after he called a friend while hiking to say he was feeling unwell.
Since then search crews, two helicopters and search dogs have been scouring the bush for any sign of the man.
His friend has also joined the search team.
Earlier in the week searchers narrowed down the search area to a small section on their map.
Today they expanded the area again exploring new terrain for any sign of the man.
Inspector Cyril Laurent says police have been told Mr Shackleton is an experienced hiker who knows how to access water.
"However, if he has been injured, obviously it's going to be a lot more difficult to find him," he said.
"That's why we are very keen on ramping up our search and making sure that we do everything possible to find him as quickly as possible."
Survival experts have told police Mr Shackleton could survive until Sunday if he can reach water.
Searchers say they continue to be optimistic and are preparing for their sixth day of the search.
Updated - Dec 17th 2010 - ABC
WA Police are continuing the search for a sixth day for missing Albany man, Eddie Shackleton and believe he could still be alive.
The 79-year-old hiker has been missing in the Stirling Range national park since Saturday after he phoned a friend to say he was feeling unwell.
Despite a full scale rescue mission involving helicopters, search dogs, SES Volunteers, Fire and Emergency Services and police, no trace of Mr Shackleton has been found.
Inspector Cyril Laurent says a thorough search will continue today
"We haven't by any means given up. We're still keeping the two aircrafts, the two helicopters," he said.
"We're going to make sure that we search an area that needs to be looked at, certain areas there designated for search, and we want to make sure we complete it, and by the time we've done that we will have actually gone over that area twice."
Inspector Laurent says police have consulted an expert who has given them reason to believe they could still find Mr Shackleton alive.
"We've been told by him that there's still a good chance of him being alive right through until Sunday," he said.
"After that he will probably need some more information from us to determine anything else, so we are going to keep our efforts going until that time."
Updated - ABC
The search for an elderly man in the Stirling Range national park has been scaled back.
79-year-old Eddie Shackleton was camping the weekend before last when he phoned a friend to say he was ill.
Police and emergency service volunteers have spent the past week scouring the area without success.
Inspector Cyril Laurent says Mr Shackleton's food supply would have run out by now, and his chances of survival are slim.
He says the search will resume today but on a smaller scale.
"It will be scaled back somewhat but I anticipate that we will still have a number of crews to do some search for us, most likely going into the afternoon," he said.
Updated - ABC
Police and SES Volunteers are winding up their search for Albany man Eddie Shackleton who has been missing in the Stirling Range national park for over a week.
The 79-year-old man was camping in the park last weekend when he phoned a friend to say he was ill.
Police and SES volunteers, Fire and Emergency Service crews, search dogs and two helicopters have been scouring the park since Sunday last week, with no success.
Inspector Cyril Laurent from the Great Southern District office says it is no longer believed Mr Shackleton is alive.
"We have to be realistic, what I can say is that if he was mobile, we would have located him. I have no doubt whatsoever, with the numbers, people out there that we had on the ground and in the air throughout the week," he said.
"We would have located him so unfortunately, I have reached a conclusion that its unlikely that he's still alive."
