As the search for Michael Graham
continued police released these images of the camp site, or last known
point for Mr Graham. Source: PerthNow
Coroners Act, 1996 [Section 26(1)]
Western Australia
RECORD OF INVESTIGATION INTO DEATH
Ref No: 45/13
I, Evelyn Felicia Vicker, Acting State Coroner, having investigated the
suspected death of Michael Keith GRAHAM, with an Inquest held at Perth Coroners
Court, Court 51, Central Law Courts Building, 501 Hay Street Perth, on 18
December 2013 find that death has been established beyond all reasonable doubt,
the identity of the deceased was Michael Keith GRAHAM and that death occurred on
a date unknown between 15 January and 11 February 2013 in and around the area of
5 mile well on Riverina Station out of Menzies in the following circumstances -
INTRODUCTION
On the morning of 14 January 2013 Michael Keith Graham (the deceased) was
noticed to be missing from his campsite by his co-prospector, Peter Ian Holloway
(Holloway). He did not return and police were notified of his disappearance at
lunchtime on 15 January 2013. There followed one of the biggest land search and
rescue (LandSAR) operations seen in Western Australia which located no sign of
the deceased.
The search was about to be scaled down on 22 January 2013 when the land owner of
Riverina Station located evidence of recent human activity in the vicinity of a
cattle water trough. The search continued but was unsuccessful in locating the
deceased and on 11 February was halted after survival packs, left for the
deceased, were found to be undisturbed. The deceased was 46 years of age in
February 2013. This finding replaces an interim finding produced on 18 December
2013 to assist the deceased’s family to procure a passport for the purposes of
travel and family support.
BACKGROUND
The deceased was born on 14 October 1966 and was a resident of Arcadia Vale,
New South Wales, with his wife and two children. The deceased had worked in
various jobs including hospitality, building and landscaping, and while at the
time of his disappearance he was not employed, he was engaged in breeding
reptiles on a semi-commercial basis. The deceased had suffered two serious motor
vehicle crashes in 1998 and 1992 which resulted in health issues which may have
been relevant to his capabilities in the bush. He had had two knee replacements
and one kidney removed, and suffered chronic back ailments. He used pain relief
in the form of oxycontin to manage his pain. He had a degenerative back
condition.
THE EVENTS
The deceased travelled from his home in New South Wales to Menzies in WA over
the New Year 2012-2013. He arrived in Menzies on 2 January 2013. The deceased
stayed at the Menzies Hotel, owned and managed by David William McKenna
(McKenna), whom he was going to assist in managing the hotel while McKenna took
a period of leave from the area.
On 11 January 2013 the deceased and a prospector, Holloway, departed Menzies
and travelled to Holloway’s prospecting lease. The lease in located 75 kms north
west of Menzies about an hour’s drive on unsealed roads. The lease is upon
Riverina Station, a pastoral lease covering half a million acres. The deceased
and Holloway arrived where they intended to make camp at about 3pm on 11 January
2013 and set up camp.
On 12 January 2013 it rained heavily and both Holloway and the deceased spent
the day ensuring the camp was rainproof. The deceased was intending to sleep in
his motor vehicle, a Nissan X Trail.
On 13 January 2013 the deceased commenced searching for some particular
flowers he thought may be a cure for cancer, apparently he believed he may have
a condition which would turn cancerous. He and Holloway also spent time panning
and looking at the rocks in the vicinity. The deceased retired to his vehicle
sometime between 9 and 10pm on 13 January 2013. The following morning, 14
January 2013, Holloway woke at about 9.00 hours and noticed the deceased was not
present.
Holloway had a cup of coffee and commenced prospecting assuming the deceased
was already out and about. When Holloway returned to camp at 12.30pm he found
the deceased still absent and started tooting his motor vehicle horn to create a
noise for the attention of the deceased. When he received no response he
commenced a search of the immediate area heading in a southerly direction.
Holloway returned to camp before 6pm and noticed the deceased was still missing.
As a result he telephoned a friend in Menzies and advised him of the deceased’s
disappearance, assuming his friend would notify the police. Holloway set up a
light in the trees to attract the deceased should he observe it overnight. The
friend in Menzies spoke with the publican of the Menzies Hotel, McKenna, and
they decided it was too late to notify the police that night and that they would
speak with Holloway in the morning.
On the morning of Tuesday 15 January 2013 Holloway continued to search for
the deceased using his motor vehicle but did not locate him, and when he spoke
with his friend in Menzies at lunchtime told him the deceased was still missing.
McKenna and the friend departed Menzies and drove to Holloway’s camp with
McKenna calling police and reporting the deceased’s disappearance at 12.50 hours
on Tuesday 15 January 2013. The call was taken by the sergeant at Leonora Police
Station. McKenna and the friend arrived at Holloway’s camp at approximately 2pm
and there met Holloway. During the course of the afternoon they made contact
with the caretaker for Mt Ida. McKenna and the friend drove back to Menzies that
afternoon and the Leonora Police were again contacted at 4.15pm.
THE SEARCH
The sergeant of Leonora police commenced enquiries following the receipt of
her phone call from McKenna at 12.50pm on 15 January 2013. She arranged for the
caretaker from Mt Ida to attend Holloway’s camp to assist with the search in
that area. After hearing from McKenna at 4.15pm that the deceased had not been
located the response was escalated and the sergeant from Leonora notified the
Goldfields/Esperance District Office and the WA Police Emergency Operations Unit
of the disappearance of the deceased at approximately 4.30pm. Jupiter Mine and
Menzies Shire were also made aware of the deceased’s disappearance.
Police were dispatched to Holloway’s camp and travelled along the Mt
Ida/Leonora Road where they were approached by the Mt Ida mine site camp
caretaker. He stated he had been to Holloway’s camp but could not find Holloway
and advised the campsite was difficult to locate. He advised he had left a mark
on the Mt Ida Road for the beginning of the track leading to Holloway’s camp.
The police officers continued along the Mt Ida Road and at the yellow marker
took the Global Position System (GPS) coordinates for the camp turnoff. The
police then continued to the Menzies Hotel where they spoke to McKenna in person
before returning to Leonora to update the police sergeant. The sergeant at
Leonora contacted DFES requesting a LandSAR operation be launched with an air
observer, personnel and the conveyance of aviation fuel to the search area.
The Police Airwing arranged for a helicopter from Meekatharra to be at that
camp area the following morning. At 9pm on 15 January 2013 the Leonora sergeant
requested Leinster Police to attend and assist with the search. From the 16 to
22 January 2013 there was an intensive land search assisted by consultant input
with respect to the deceased’s timeframe for survival (TFFS). It was initially
estimated the deceased would be most likely to be limited in his movements
within an 8-10km radius from the camp. It was noted the deceased had left his
mobile phone and GPS in his vehicle. The deceased’s wife advised the inquest the
deceased never went very far without his mobile phone and GPS and the
implication would be the deceased had not intended to move very far from the
camp.1 The search was extensive and involved a considerable number of personnel
from the police, State Emergency Services, and also used techniques such as
lights at night and the activation of police sirens. The day time temperatures
were hot and the terrain dense with an uneven ground surface which slowed the
search timeframe.
By the end of 22 January 2013 approximately 100 square kilometres of land had
been searched by foot, horse and helicopter to a calculated probability of
detection (POD) of 90%. The helicopter had searched a total area of
approximately 640 sq kms at POD estimated at 80%. The consultant with respect to
TFFS considered it would be unlikely the deceased had survived any longer
despite the fact there had been rain which may have assisted in his survival.
However, on the afternoon of 22 January 2013, the owner of Riverina Station,
Donald Edward North (North) was conducting checks of the bores and wells on the
station outside the search area when he discovered unusual signs of activity at
5 mile well and the adjacent cattle yards. A makeshift shelter made of tin and
branches leaning against the fence was located inside the cattle yards however,
no foot prints were located. Twenty metres south of the cattle yards was the
word “SOS” though North believed the markings in the area were two or three days
old. On checking the water trough North discovered the algae had been removed
from the trough to provide clear drinking water and there was a piece of wood
across one end. The algae was still relatively moist and the ground nearby damp
from water which gave an estimation the algae had been disturbed in the previous
24 hours.
North searched the area including an old sandalwood camp where he noticed
another makeshift shelter but no footprints. North drove to the Police Command
Centre for the search and reported his findings which resulted in a ‘Fast Team’
being deployed to the site and arriving at nightfall. A contact search was made
of the immediate vicinity and a pair of green underpants (later identified by
Mrs Graham as similar to those worn by the deceased) was located before further
searching that night was suspended due to the conditions. Five mile well is
approximately 14 kms south east of Holloway’s camp and 4 kms outside the
identified search area. As a result of those findings the search was continued
rather than being deescalated. Search teams were deployed from the area and the
Police Forward Command relocated to the 45 mile outpost, approximately 5-6 kms
from five mile well.
The TFFS consultant was provided with new information with respect to the
findings and the conditions and he considered it likely the deceased would have
been in the area of the trough some 1 to 1 ½ days earlier. He thought it likely
the deceased would be approximately 1-2 days walk from the 5 mile well but as a
result of his weakened condition would have expected it to be within a 3 km
radius. He gave some indicators for likely behaviours.
The helicopter was deployed to search the area around 5 mile well and vehicles
deployed around tracks leading in and out of the area. At approximately 10am the
helicopter located a marking in the track approximately 1km from 5 mile well
which when accessed by the ground team noted “walking very weak” with an arrow
pointing west back towards 5 mile well. The search was continued with the
helicopter and ground search teams and four Tactical Response Group (TRG)
tracking specialist officers were flown and deployed to 5 mile well to track the
deceased. Survival packs were made up containing food, water and multivitamins.
They also contained matches and instructions to the deceased on how to start a
fire and to remain at its location. There was a thunderstorm at approximately
4.20pm on the 23 January 2013 which necessitated the suspension of the search at
that time.
On 24 January 2013 the search was recommenced from 5 mile well and the survival
packs deployed along tracks and fence lines, wells and bores. The Police
aircraft commenced a grid search that covered 20 kms north and 20 kms east of 5
mile well. The helicopter pilot located the word “help” near Kurrajong Well,
approximately 7.5kms east of Holloway’s camp. The search redeployed to this area
but decided the writing was at least 24 hours old. The rain from the
thunderstorm made it difficult to locate tracks or signs but would have provided
water to the deceased, depending on his condition.
The search continued using helicopter, plane, field searches, TRG trackers and
police traffic motorbikes over the following days until 28 January 2013. The
police FLIR was also used to track heat sources. Despite this extremely intense
and targeted search of areas of interest no sign of the deceased was further
located and the TRG trackers were sure they would have located him if he was
alive and moving. On 29 January 2013 the search was deescalated. No further
signs of human activity had been found. From 29 January through to 11 February
the survival packs were checked but no activity was detected and they were
removed from their locations on 11 February 2013. From 29 January 2013 several
prospectors and four wheel drive enthusiasts conducted their own searches with
the permission of land owners. None reported any findings or signs of life.
OTHER INVESTIGATIONS
Extensive investigations by the police of the deceased’s personal telephone,
bank accounts and the campsite failed to reveal any indication the deceased had
planned any unexpected activity or disappearance. There has been no sign of the
deceased or indication he may still be alive since the last of the writings were
discovered in January 2013. The deceased’s wife has had no communication from
the deceased and in court Mrs Graham felt the fact her husband had left messages
indicated a wish to be discovered and return home.
CONCLUSION AS TO THE DEATH OF THE DECEASED
I am satisfied the deceased was a 46 year old part-time prospector who travelled
out to Riverina Station with Holloway who operated a lease in the area. The two
men arrived at Holloway’s campsite on the 11 January 2013 and initially
prospected together. On the morning of 14 January 2013 the deceased moved away
from the campsite, alone. He left his GPS and mobile phone in his vehicle
implying it was not his intention to travel very far from the campsite. The
deceased had prior operations on his knees which may have affected his mobility
in adverse conditions. The deceased was never seen alive again. When Holloway
became satisfied he could not locate the deceased the Police were notified and
as a result a very intensive land search operated from the 15 to 22 January
2013. On 22 January 2013 the owner of Riverina Station noticed activity
indicating the deceased had been in the area recently.
The search was extended but despite locating messages from the deceased he was
not found and the search was finally halted on 11 February 2013. I am satisfied
on the evidence the search was extensive and it is not conceivable the deceased
survived any longer in the conditions with which he was faced. I am satisfied
beyond all reasonable doubt the deceased has died and that death occurred in and
around the 5 mile well on Riverina Station.
I am satisfied death occurred some time between the 15 January to 11 February
2013 although I am unable to state with any certainty how precisely the deceased
died. He could have become injured and died as a result, his writings seem to
imply he was becoming disorientated and acting strangely by not remaining with a
water source, and it is likely he was suffering the effects of a lack of
appropriate sustenance. While I am unable to say precisely how the deceased died
in all the circumstances surrounding the death I find death arose by way of
Misadventure.
EVIDENCE OF SUPERINTENDENT DARREN SEIVWRIGHT
Darren Seivwright, Superintendent, Goldfields/Esperance District Office wished
to give evidence to the inquest about the land search for the deceased, and
specifically the use of personal locating beacons (PLB) where people are
expecting to be in remote areas where mobile phone coverage can be non-existent.
Superintendent Seivwright pointed out that under the WA Emergency Management Act
2005 and Emergency Management Regulations 2006 responsibility for search
operations within Western Australia falls to the WA Police to conduct land
searches where lost persons require significant coordination of search
operations. More recently there have been significant and tragic land incidents
involving missing gold prospectors in remote eastern Western Australia. These
LandSAR incidents are extremely costly to the WA community both by way of life
and resources. As such the Police are anxious there be improved discussion and
education on potentially preventative initiatives which could be implemented to
achieve desirable outcomes, mainly improved survivability of missing persons,
and a reduction in cost of the LandSAR incidents.
Superintendent Seivwright advised the inquest that professional or hardcore
prospectors3 carry PLB devices of some sort or another in any event, and Police
concern was more with the occasional or hobby prospector. Superintendent
Seivwright caused a review of WebEOC holdings from 1 January 2012 to 3 December
2013 in an attempt to provide information relating to persons who, in the course
of prospecting, had become lost or distressed. His inquiry indicated the
following results from that time period: There had been 20 LandSAR incidents
involving prospectors, mainly in the Goldfields/Esperance district, but also in
the mid-west, Gascoyne and Pilbara districts. In those LandSAR incidents there
had been 20 deployments of Police personnel, 8 of SES personnel, and 9 air
resources.
There had been a total of 226 hours of LandSAR time averaging out at 11.3 hours
per search. Analysis of those incidents found:
Prospectors reported missing by family on 9 occasions, where the person was not
actually missing but had not communicated at expected times.
11 cases where the prospector had become lost whilst conducting prospecting, 3
had returned or found themselves and 8 required location by search teams.
In one of the incidents the prospector was in possession of an EPIRB which he
activated and, as a result, was found by the search team in 4 hours. On 4
occasions the prospectors were in possession of a GPS however this had not
assisted the search because they had either, lost, forgotten or were unable to
supply details to the searchers because of being unable to communicate.
Superintendent Seivwright described the GPS as being a device the prospector
could carry with him which would allow him to locate himself, which would be
useful if he had coordinates for where he wished to go, and was in a position to
mobilise. In the event the carrier of the GPS was unable to mobilise the GPS
would not assist anybody in locating him. The other two devices in use are
EPIRBs and PLBs. EPIRBs are generally heavy duty and used in the marine
environment, while the PLB is a small device, approximately the size of a GPS,
which can be carried with a person at all times, and once activated provides
information to searchers by way of satellite.
As Superintendent Seivwright pointed out prospectors almost always go missing in
a remote location without any good coordinates of the place last seen or known
position which results in the probable search area being large and impacts on
initial Police input due to the distances and difficulties in identifying useful
information to assist in the search. In addition, there are certain behaviours
most prospectors adopt when becoming lost. They generally continue to walk in an
attempt to geographically acquaint themselves. While this has apparently been
successful in a minority of cases, it also leaves the walker vulnerable to
dehydration, excessive exertion and consequent hallucination and disorientation.
Of the 11 cases mentioned earlier where there had been reports of missing
prospectors, 3 had found themselves, but the other 8 were located by search
teams after a considerable expenditure in time and resources. Had any of those
activated a PLB the search would have been much more effective, reduced the
search area, and ensured a successful outcome.
Superintendent Seivwright pointed out most prospectors carry a GPS to assist
them in their prospecting activities, and while, if used properly, these may
enable a prospector to return to a known location, they cannot be used by
external parties in locating the prospector. A PLB is no bigger than a GPS but
carries the essential function of being able to locate its position by
satellite. In an incident where a lost prospector had activated an EPIRB, he was
located 4 hours later. This produces considerable savings when one considers the
average search time as being in excess of 11 hours. Superintendent Seivwright
pointed out in that case the search itself was initiated by the EPIRB
activation, which is a considerable safety factor for people becoming lost, and
knowledge a person carries on PLB often reduced anxiety for family members not
hearing from a remote loved one. As Superintendent Seivwright pointed out:4
“Predominantly these LandSAR incidents are resolved by locating the prospector
safe and well.
The two primary methods of locating the prospector are by air and by road. The
method of preliminary search is determined by the precision of the information
provided by the reporting party. If precise locations are known, officers can
locate by road alone. If the initial search area is more general, then air
assets are deployed until the person is located, then officers are deployed by
road to conduct the welfare check. Far more rarely, an incident is resolved by
locating the prospector reported missing who has actually experienced mechanical
or physical difficulty and required assistance. Even more rare, are incidents
where prospectors are reported missing and it required a large scale search
involving a multiagency approach and substantial resources. “ Superintendent
Seivwright contacted the General Manager of Investigations with the Department
of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) to negotiate with him a requirement prospectors are
compelled to carry PLBs or similar equipment. The response indicated the DMP
felt this was a matter of education, rather than compulsion. Education is always
the foremost means of ensuring compliance with safety considerations.
Superintendent Seivwright is anxious DMP contribute more to the community
effort, as implemented by the Police, to assist with the location of missing
persons. The issue of compliance with any compulsory requirement is always a
resource issue. Education is often preferable and usually more effective.
In the case of the deceased the fact he left his GPS at the campsite would seem
to imply he was not intending to wander far from the campsite. It leaves open
the issue as to whether he would have taken a PLB with him had he had one.
Nevertheless, I do suggest more discussion between those responsible for search
and rescue in WA, the Police, and the DMP would be advisable around the issue of
education and resourcing searches where those involved in prospecting do not
carry PLBs.
I RECOMMEND WAPOL consider ongoing negotiation with the Department of Mines and
Petroleum in educating prospective prospectors of the benefits of carrying a
personal location beacon when travelling in remote Australia.
E F VICKER
ACTING STATE CORONER
8 January 2014
Search for missing Goldfields
prospector Michael Keith Graham
THE search for a missing prospector in Menzies will continue for
a fifth day tomorrow.
WA Police and State Emergency Service volunteers have been searching
for Michael Keith Graham, 46, since Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Graham was last seen on Sunday.
Police will continue their search for as long as possible tonight while SES
volunteers will return to the search area at first light tomorrow morning.
Police said this afternoon a crew on board a helicopter identified a number
of mine shafts in the area which will be searched further.
Nearby mining company Norton Gold Fields Paddington Operations have provided
a specialist emergency response team to help with the search of the mine
shafts.
The Shire of Menzies is also providing logistical support while local
contractors have provided specialist equipment.
Police yesterday issued photographs of a bush camp as they continue
the search.
Photographs of the site where Mr Graham was believed to have been
staying show his abandoned car, tent and belongings.
It is not known if Mr Graham has access to food, water and shelter,
and police said there were serious concerns for his safety because his
supplies were still with his vehicle.
Police went to his campsite Tuesday afternoon and found his vehicle,
but officers could not find the prospector.
Search intensifies for missing prospector
Updated
Thu Jan 24, 2013
2:00pm AEDT - ABC
A specialist police team with tracking and bush survival
training has arrived in the Goldfields, as the search for a missing prospector
enters its ninth day.
Michael Graham, 46, was last seen camping with a friend near Lake Ballard,
west of Menzies, 11 days ago.
A number of items belonging to Mr Graham were recovered yesterday, with
the focus of the search operation shifting further south.
Four officers from the Tactical Response Group joined the search operation
overnight and will attempt to track Mr Graham.
A police search plane will also join the search today.
Lost prospector's wife
feels strain
James
Purtill, The West Australian
January 25, 2013, 6:38 am
Staunch, generous and quick to crack a joke, the wife of missing
prospector Michael Graham is privately riding waves of anger and
frustration.
When police told her they had found signs her husband was still alive,
the only emotion she felt was blissful relief.
Mrs Graham and her husband's sister Lisa Dodson had spent the past 12
days hoping for news.
Early each morning they have left the Menzies Hotel and taken the dirt
road 70km to the police camp where they have waited for some sign that Mr
Graham was still alive.
Each morning they have watched emergency services patrols set out.
Through the day reports came in over the radio of dry creeks and
trackless earth.
They had been told Wednesday would be the last day. The search could
not go on for ever. The cherry-red search helicopter had already been sent
home.
That morning, on schedule, they drove out to the police camp. "We had
faced the fact the search was going to be called off," Mrs Dodson said. Mrs
Graham had been steeling herself for the lunchtime phone call to her son and
daughter at home in Lake Macquarie, NSW.
As the two women arrived at the camp, they were met by three police
vehicles leaving. A window rolled down and Acting Insp. Ricky Chadwick
greeted them.
"Ricky said: 'We've found something. Follow us.' There was a
realisation that this was it," Mrs Graham said.
After they were briefed about the discovery, she called her daughter
on a satellite phone.
The 15-year-old was "stunned" by the good news. "It was the first sign
of hope," Mrs Graham said.
"We were elated."
Mrs Graham and Mrs Dodson had been planning to drive back across the
Nullarbor today in the Nissan X-Trail Mr Graham had driven in the opposite
direction weeks earlier.
Now they will stay, "until we get resolution", Mrs Graham said. She
said the pair felt immense gratitude to the volunteers, police, shire
officers and others who had contributed to the search.
"These people are willing to just drop everything," she said. "They
give their time, they leave their families, they leave their jobs for
someone they don't know."
The pair plan to join emergency services volunteers when they return
home.
Alongside this gratitude are feelings of helplessness. Mrs Graham and
Mrs Dodson are unable to help in the ground or aerial searches for their
loved one.
They make sandwiches for police and volunteers, and fetch supplies
from Kalgoorlie.
Mrs Dodson left her two-year-old daughter with her husband in Taupo
and took leave to support her sister-in-law.
"If nothing was found, I would have to come back," she said. "There
would be no closure."
Mrs Graham, a paralegal for a multinational company with offices in
North Sydney, said if her husband of 21 years was found, she would never let
him go prospecting again.
"Then he'll get a good slap on the head," she said. "But whatever the
conclusion, I don't think I could bring myself to come back here. I still
feel like it's a nightmare."
Missing prospector:
SOS notes found
James Purtill, The West AustralianJanuary 25, 2013, 4:51 am
Bush trackers are on the trail of missing prospector Michael Graham
after a Goldfields station owner stumbled on makeshift camps and SOS notes
left by the 46-year-old who has been missing, feared dead, for 12 days.
Police were about to scale down the search for the NSW tourist when
they were contacted by Riverina station owner Don North, who found an SOS
hacked in the dirt. He made the find outside a trough shed at the Five Mile
windmill, 15km from where Mr Graham was last seen, 140km north of Menzies.
Search volunteers yesterday dropped 20 survival packs containing
water, matches, food and vitamins at strategic sites in the hope that Mr
Graham would find one and light a fire to alert them.
Police said the trail left by Mr Graham suggested he was still alive
on Monday. Four elite trackers have been airlifted to join the search.
The items found on Tuesday afternoon included a small magnifying glass
on a lanyard hung in a tree and a pair of underpants.
In the shadow of the remote windmill, SOS had been scraped in the
dirt. Police found more messages in the dirt 5km down a road to the east.
They read "walking" and "very weak". Another 5km east, police found a line
drawn across the road, a second SOS message and an arrow pointing west.
Acting Insp. Ricky Chadwick said police believed Mr Graham was at the
mill in recent days. "He walked 10km east and then began walking back," he
said.
When police visited the mill the previous Thursday, there had been no
sign of the missing man.
Mr North and his nephew had been making a mill-run when they noticed
wire mesh had been pulled across the shed doorway.
"We presumed this was to keep the animals out," he said. "The trough
was very clean and there was evidence he had been lying there. We
immediately took photos and brought them to the police."
At an abandoned sandalwooders' camp 500m north, the cattlemen found a
shelter made from an old swing-set and empty cement bags.
Five Mile is about 15km south-east of where Mr Graham and a friend,
Peter Hollaway, had been camping and panning for gold when Mr Graham was
last seen on January 13.
Acting Insp. Chadwick said Mr Graham may have sought respite in the
trough shed during 40C heat. If he had heard the search helicopter, he may
have been unable to get out in time to alert the pilot.
Police had been using dozens of SES volunteers and a stock-mustering
helicopter to search 640 sqkm.
But the search is now being carried out by the tactical response
group, the helicopter and a spotter plane from the police air wing.
A downpour on Wednesday night obliterated ground markings, but may
help trackers find fresh prints, one tracker said.
Signs deliver new hope for man
missing in Goldfields
RAIN has given police trackers hope that lost NSW tourist
Michael Keith Graham could still be alive in Western Australia's harsh
but wooded eastern Goldfields, 13 days after he went missing.
The search area was widened yesterday on the advice of four members of
the West Australian police tactical response group whose members are trained
in bushcraft, survival and tracking techniques. Mr Graham, 46, disappeared
while camping with his friend Peter Holloway in the Lake Ballard area
northeast of Menzies.
Mr Holloway has told searchers he last saw Mr Graham at 10pm on
January 13.
The search for Mr Graham was being scaled down this week when Riverina
Station owner Don North found signs of life at the Five Mile windmill. There
was an SOS scratched in the dirt.
About 500m north there was a shelter made from an old swing set and
empty cement bags, and police found more messages in the dirt 5km away.
One said "walking". Later, there were the words "very weak".
A police spokesman said rain over the past few days might have made it
possible for Mr Graham to survive for such an extended period in extreme
heat.
There were shade-providing trees in the area where he went missing.
In the nearest town to where Mr Graham got lost, the pastoral and
mining centre of Menzies 730km east of Perth, the average daily maximum
temperature in January is 35.1C, but temperatures climb higher in the vast
Lake Ballard area where he was last seen.
Last night, it was decided SES volunteers would search from the air
while trackers continued on foot.
Today, five police will join the search on dirt bikes.
Earlier in the week, six police were searching on horseback.
'If he's still alive, he's a
pretty tough guy'
Date
- WA Today
The station owner who this week found traces of Michael Graham
says
the missing prospector would be a "pretty tough guy" if he has
survived the Goldfield desert heat for almost two weeks.
NSW tourist Mr Graham has been missing since January 13 after going
camping and panning for gold with a friend Peter Hollaway north of
Menzies.
Police had been set to scale-down the search for Mr Graham but
there is renewed hope he may still be alive after Riverina station
owner Don North found traces of him on Wednesday.
Among the signs found by Mr North were a "big SOS" scratched
in the ground, a clean water trough and a couple of temporary
shelters.
"When it gets hot here, it gets really hot - well into the 40s
. If you were moving round in that heat I would think your chance of
survival would not be good," Mr North told Radio 6PR.
"It's the $64 question and I believe he wasn't a well man
either. It's 13 days since he went missing, so if he's alive he's a
pretty tough guy that's all I know. We don't know if he had a
container for water."
Mr North said his property covered half a million acres and
that there were many areas on it into which even he did not even
venture.
He said he suspected Mr Graham may have stumbled across a road
maintained by "sandalwooders", which could have been in good
condition but could have led east to "nowhere".
The signs discovered of Mr Graham led Mr North to believe the
46-year-old have still have been alive on the weekend.
Aerial searches for Mr Graham were continuing on Friday and five
off-road motorbikes were due to arrive in the Goldfields on Saturday to
provide further assistance.
Search resumes for prospector missing in
Goldfields
Updated January 27, 2013
11:27:28 - ABC
Authorities have resumed a land-and-air search for a prospector
missing in Western Australia's Goldfields region.
Police and emergency services have been searching for 46-year-old
Michael Graham in remote bushland, north of Menzies, for almost two weeks.
Mr Graham was last seen prospecting with his friend Pete Holloway, who
says he woke up one morning to find him gone.
"I took off because I thought he [had] the jump on me," Mr Holloway
said.
"You just hope he shows up - your hopes are always up when you hear
good news on the radio."
Mr Graham has not been seen since, but hopes were renewed a few days
ago when a station owner found SOS messages and personal belongings.
Police say they will start using off-road motorbikes to help search
efforts.
Search ends for missing
prospector
James
Purtill, The West Australian
January 29, 2013, 5:12 am
Police have called off the ground and aerial search for missing
prospector Michael Keith Graham, two weeks after the 46-year-old NSW
tourist was last seen at a campsite north of Menzies.
Emergency services will continue daily checks of the 20 survival
packs hung at strategic points about the search area - including at the
gold-panning camp where Mr Graham was last sighted and at the windmill
where a station owner found SOS signals hacked in the dirt one week ago.
The 13-day search deployed three aircraft, trail bikes, mounted
police, specialist trackers and scores of emergency services volunteers
combing several hundred square kilometres of mulga forest.
Mr Graham's wife Helen, who was on the drive home, was contacted
outside the town of Nullarbor and said she was not surprised to hear the
news.
She and Mr Graham's sister Lisa Anne Dodson said earlier this week
that they hoped his remains would be found intact.
It is expected the search will continue in an unofficial capacity
with three civilian quad bikers still operating in the area and several
more declaring they would stay on until a body was found.
Mrs Graham and Mr Graham's younger brother, Ian Graham, offered
their support to the searchers and thanked police and emergency
services.
Police believe Mr Graham was sheltering under a tin roof for
several days up to last Monday, just 15km from the search headquarters.
Mr Graham and a friend, Peter Hollaway, were camping and panning
for gold when Mr Graham was last seen on January 13.
The enthusiasm that sent Mr Graham across the country to remote
mulga country in the Northern Goldfields began 12 months ago when he
watched a TV show named Goldrush Alaska.
Until then, he occupied himself with breeding reptiles. He converted
the family home in Lake Macquarie into a centre for bearded dragons,
shinglebacks, bungarras, pythons, snapperhead and longneck turtles, as
well as the mice bred for meals.
A 13-day search for a missing prospector feared dead in the
West Australian Goldfields has been called off.
Michael Keith Graham, 46, from New South Wales, was reported
missing by a friend who had been prospecting with him near the small
town of Menzies, 135 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and
about 700 kilometres from Perth.
He was last seen on January 13 at a makeshift campsite he was
sharing with friend Peter Holloway as part of a prospecting holiday.
Despite an intense search of more than 1500 square kilometres
and
signs of life after he had been missing for more than a week,
searchers were unable to locate Mr Graham.
Police say the various search techniques implemented dictate
that Mr Graham would have had a very high probability of being
discovered if he was within the search area alive.
Aircraft, motorbikes, horses and expert trackers had assisted
in the search.
A number of abandoned
mineshafts in the area had also been searched.
Survival packs that have been placed at strategic locations
across the search site had not been touched but will continue to be
monitored for the next week and a half.
Part of the search area is a mine site and people need to be
aware that they should not enter the site without written
permission.
Mr Graham's wife, who had come to Menzies while the search was
taking place, is understood to have begun the return drive home on
the weekend.
Mr Graham's disappearance will continue as a missing person
investigation.
Police recommend that people camping or working in remote
areas should always carry an EPIRB in the event of an emergency.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers
on 1800 333 000.
Missing prospector Michael Graham died of 'misadventure'
EMILY MOULTON Legal Affairs ReporterPerthNow
WA POLICE want amateur prospectors to be required to carry personal
locator beacons when they go looking for treasure to help with
possible rescue efforts, an inquest was told today.
Goldfields-Esperance District Superintendent Darren Seivwright told
the hearing into the suspected death of missing prospector Michael
Keith Graham that out of the nine prospectors who had been reported
missing this year, only one had been carrying a personal beacon and
was found within four hours.
He said one of the toughest aspects of a search was narrowing down
the area.
If amateur prospectors, especially those from interstate, were
required to carry a PLB, it would help guarantee a person's survival
as well as cut the amount of resources used in such searches, he
added.
Mr Graham, who is originally from Lake Macquarie in NSW, was last
seen at a makeshift campsite just outside the small WA town of
Menzies, 700kms from Perth on January 13.
An extensive search covering more than 1500sqkms and involving
aircraft, motorbikes, horses and expert trackers was carried out
over the course of 15 days but failed to locate the 46-year-old
father of two. The search was one of the largest ever undertaken in
WA.
During the hearing today, the court was told that in the days before
the search was called off clothing and items belonging to Mr Graham
were found as well as messages in the sand prompting hope from
rescuers and his wife Helen, who had travelled to WA for the search,
that he would be found.
The court was told Mr Graham, who had taken up prospecting over the
last few years, was staying at a makeshift camp with a friend, Peter
Holloway.
He was only reported missing after Mr Holloway and another fellow
prospector failed to locate him some 38 hours later after he was
last seen.
Senior Sergeant Ricky Chadwick, who was in charge of the
investigation, told the hearing that during the first week of the
search, rescue efforts were concentrated within a 10km radius based
on an analysis from a consulting doctor.
By January 22, after the search failed to find any sign of Mr
Graham, a decision was taken to scale back efforts however a
property owner near Five Mile Well - 14kms from where he was last
seen - reported finding signs a makeshift shelter near a water
trough.
A team was assembled and later found green underpants, later
identified as the size and type worn by Mr Graham.
A lanyard and magnifying glass belonging to Mr Graham was also found
a kilometre from Five Mile Well prompting rescuers to increase the
search radius and deploy survival packs in the vicinity.
But efforts had to be stopped that night due to a thunderstorm.
The next day trackers found a message for help in the sand some
25kms east from Mr Holloway's campsite. Faint footprints were also
found but had been destroyed because of the heavy overnight rain.
During the last four days aerial heat detectors were used but failed
to locate Mr Graham.
The search was then called off on January 27.
During the hearing Snr Sgt Chadwick said police believed Mr Graham
had died and had ruled out other scenarios such as foul play or that
he deliberately disappeared.
Both he and Supt Seivwright also told the court that they wanted
amateur prospectors to be required to carry locator beacons.
Out of the nine prospectors that went missing this year, three had
returned back to site, four had GPS devices which did not help with
the search, while one had a beacon. He was found within four hours.
And while Supt Seivwright conceded there was no guarantee Mr Graham
would have been found if he had a beacon because he had left his GPS
device in his car when he left the campsite, he did believe if
amateur prospectors were required to carry them it could help to
avoid further tragedies. Professional prospectors, he said, carried
personal locator beacons.
Acting state coroner Evelyn Vicker told the hearing that while she
could not make a recommendation being sought by police because she
had not heard from other agencies, she did appreciate what police
were asking and recommended that more discussion around education
programs take place between police and the relevant agencies.
She also said that while she could not give an official cause of
death she was satisfied that Mr Graham was deceased and would rule
that he died from "misadventure".
Speaking after the inquest Mr Graham's wife Helen said the past year
had been very hard for her family and explained that despite today's
findings, it still did not bring her closure.
She said she had always believed that he would be found alive and
was not convinced he simply disappeared.
"I thought he would be found," she said. "I think there's more to it
to be honest and the inquest has not put those questions to rest."