Albany elderly man lost in Bluff Knoll

An 81-year-old Albany man spent hours lost on the snow-capped Bluff Knoll during a hike yesterday.

The Spencer Park man, identified only as Harry, was reported missing when he hadn’t returned from his hike about 7.40pm.

Police said there were concerns for the man’s welfare because of his age and the extreme weather on the Stirling Ranges peak, which resulted in snowfall the previous night.

Officers managed to contact the man on his mobile phone and track him down to a gully, just off the main track, about 1am.

The man was described as being in “reasonable health” with an injury to his leg.

With the help of local SES crews, he walked back to the car park and was taken to Gnowangerup Hospital.

A family spokesperson said he was now at home with family and was in good spirits.

“We’d like to thank Albany Police, Gnowangerup SES and everyone who contributed to finding Harry,” they said.