An elderly man who became lost in the Hat Head National Park on Friday has been located safe and well.
About 8.30pm on Friday evening, March 23, the 84-year-old man contacted Triple Zero (000) and informed the operator he had gone swimming within the Arakoon State Recreation Area about 3pm, but had become disoriented and was now lost.
The man spoke to Triple Zero (000) operators over the next few hours, trying to supply an accurate location. However, the man’s phone dropped out about 10.15pm and he could no longer be reached.
Officers located the man’s vehicle near Lighthouse Road, Arakoon but, despite an extensive ground search by police and the State Emergency Service (SES), and assistance from the Westpac helicopter, the man was not located.
Police re-commenced their search at 9am on Saturday.
Officers again searched the area on foot with the assistance of the State Emergency Service, and also searched for the man using a police helicopter.
About 10.20am the man was located by police with the POLAIR chopper in a swamp area within the National Park.
Police and SES on the ground attended to the elderly man who was suffering from exhaustion and the effects of exposure.
He was taken to Kempsey Hospital where he was admitted for observation.
