Augusta and Margaret River police called in to rescue Deepdene hikers

A weekend rescue has highlighted the important of personal GPS beacons for those choosing to “wander out yonder” in the Margaret River region.

Augusta and Margaret River police had to turn out in wild weather on Sunday when two well-prepared trekkers got stuck on Deepdene Beach while walking the Cape-to-Cape Track.

Police Inspector Steve Scott from the Emergency Management and Specialist Support Division praised the 36-year-old man and woman from Perth for preparedness which came unstuck only because of severe weather.

The Deepdene incident and another one on Tuesday, 150km east of Esperance, featured in a police appeal on Thursday for all outdoor adventurers to equip with personal GPS devices.

“In both situations, the rescued people were well prepared and had the right safety equipment to alert authorities to their situations and location,” he said.

“They also had sufficient supplies, clothing and shelter to remain in place until rescuers reached them.

“While both trips had been planned, the weather conditions they faced were worse than expected and resulted in the persons involved becoming stranded and in need of assistance,” Insp. Scott said.

“Even the best-prepared travellers and hikers, who have done their research, can still find themselves in distress and this is when GPS-based distress beacons such as Personal Locator Beacons and EPIRBs become critical to preventing serious injury or death.”

The Deepdene trekkers activated their distress beacon at 6.50pm on Sunday night.

The AMSA Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Canberra alerted WA Police and the adventurers camped for the night.

Local police reached the pair on-site where the beacon indicated the following morning.

Police took the couple to Augusta Hospital where they were given the all-clear.