Emergency services warn hikers to prepare after man lost during impromptu hike of Bluff Knoll

Albany emergency services have encouraged hikers to “be prepared” after a man decided to take an impromptu hike up Bluff Knoll in the dark on Saturday and got lost, resulting in their fourth callout in four weeks. The Albany Volunteer State Emergency Service was called out in the early hours of Saturday morning to attend a missing person call after a man who had decided to take an impromptu hike up Bluff Knoll ventured off the trail and became lost. The man managed to find his way back to the carpark before rescuers arrived, but Albany SES manager Nathan Anderson said visitors to the peak should aim to know the conditions and prepare accordingly before climbing. “Don’t make a spur-of-the-moment decision to climb, actually take the time to plan,” he said. “Take the right gear, the appropriate clothing for the elements and always let people know where you are going and what time you will be back.” Mr Anderson also warned against solo expeditions. “If you can, try to have a climbing buddy,” he said. “This man was lucky. He got lost alone in the nighttime with only his phone torch for lighting and with no one even knowing that he had decided to climb Bluff Knoll. “Be safe and be prepared.” Last week, three people were winched to safety and earlier in the month there were two separate rescues of men in their 20s from Bluff Knoll. In September 2023, the RAC helicopter rescued four teenagers from the peak after they were stranded overnight in freezing conditions.