Wayne Parker: Search efforts focus around Mt Magog in bid to find missing man in Stirling Range National Park

State Emergency Services volunteers with police and fire fighters were scouring bushland around Mt Magog in the Stirling Range National Park on day three of an extensive search, in hopes of finding missing Mt Barker man Wayne Michael Parker. Mr Parker was reported missing on Saturday in the Great Southern and on Monday afternoon the Nissan Navara he was believed to be driving was found abandoned in the carpark at Mt Magog, a challenging 7km return hike. A land and air search to find the missing 61-year-old was launched late on Monday and suspended due to poor weather before resuming with 25 SES volunteers from Albany, Gnowangerup and Esperance, eight police officers and a police drone on Tuesday. Those searching braved near freezing conditions and torrential rain in the national park on Tuesday. The search continued on Wednesday with the same SES and police resources plus members from volunteer fire and rescue services but there had still been no sight of Mr Parker. A command post has set up for emergency services and search volunteers at Central Lookout carpark on Stirling Range Drive. Family members joined the search efforts on Wednesday. Tambellup police officer-in-charge Sgt David Swain said the incident was evolving and the control team were regularly reassessing the search efforts. “We are continuing our search of the Mt Magog area, including the summit and the surrounding areas,” Sgt Swain said. “The maximum temperature (on Tuesday) was four degrees so it was very tough conditions with rain, wind and a lot of rainfall. “The bushland around this area is quite dense as well, so our volunteers are pushing through the scrub to try and find any signs of Mr Parker or any evidence to lead us to him.” Sgt Swain said there were no clues or evidence in Mr Parker’s vehicle to suggest where he may have gone. “We are still putting a call out to anyone that was in Mt Magog area from Saturday morning to 3pm on Monday,” he said. “Any sightings of the car on Stirling Range Drive, Chester Pass Road, Red Gum Pass or the Mt Magog carpark (would be welcome) so we can get better indications of when he actually arrived or his general description. “It is a very distressing time for his family and we’ve got our family liaison officer Sgt Wayne Byram, the officer-in-charge of Mt Barker police, keeping them in touch and letting them know how we are progressing.” Mr Parker was driving a grey Nissan Navara with the registration O62 CN. Sgt Swain said search efforts were set to continue until darkness on Wednesday and recommence on Thursday if Mr Parker is still not found, with conditions expected to improve as the week goes on. Anyone with information about Mr Parker’s disappearance or who may have seen him or his car since Saturday in the Great Southern is asked to call Albany police on 9892 9300 or Crimestoppers on 131 444.