Emergency Crews Rescue Two From Bushland in Weeks, 83-Year-Old Reunites With Rescuers

Officers who rescued an 83-year-old man lost in dense bushland for almost five hours, were given the chance to reunite with him on the Gold Coast.

Around 11.30pm on 29 October, avid bushwalker 83-year-old Owen Linley went for what was supposed to be short stroll near his home to relieve stress, when he took a wrong turn on a fire-trail in Mudgeeraba and became lost.

Owen attempted to find his way home in dark, dense bushland for approximately three hours, before eventually calling police for help at 2.30am.

What proceeded was a complicated search and rescue mission.

Deteriorating weather conditions and the 83-year-old's prolonged exposure to the low 16-degree temperature meant the clock was ticking for officers.

Acting Senior Sergeant Beau McNamara and Senior Constable Alexander Collette spent almost two hours combing the tricky terrain before they finally reached Owen just before 4am, who was suffering hypothermia but otherwise uninjured and in good spirits.

"In policing, we do all sorts of different jobs and we see people in the most tragic times of their lives. It was good to find you with a bit of a sense of humour and be able to walk you out and have a bit of a positive story, it was fantastic," Senior Sergeant McNamara said.

After a week spent recovering from his ordeal, Owen was reunited with his rescuers, who he promised that all future bushwalks will remain during daylight hours.

"That's the first time I've gone bushwalking in the middle of the night," Owen said.

"I really appreciate what you guys did. Forever in my mind."

This was the second search and rescue in southeast Queensland in a matter of weeks, after emergency response teams in Wishart also managed to find a man who was lost in bushland for three days.

Police, SES and other emergency services, conducted an extensive land and aerial search after a 69-year-old man was reported missing from Wishart on 16 October.

The search concluded with the successful location and recovery of the man, safe, in bushland in Mackenzie, on 18 October.

South Brisbane District land SAR Co-Ordinator Senior Constable Nathan Warriner says the search and rescue team was committed to exhausting every investigative avenue available to them to locate the missing man.

"Timing is critical in any search, especially when someone has been missing for three days, and every SES volunteer or member of the public who steps up to help or provide a crucial piece of information makes an incredible difference."

"The moment we located him was surreal - there is no better feeling then locating someone and ensuring a family knows their loved on is safe."

Moreton Bay SES Unit Leading Field Operations Member Zach Lualhati says 63 volunteers from Redland, Brisbane, Moreton, Ipswich, and Moreton units were deployed to assist with the search, with specialised resources including drones (RPAS), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and mountain bikes.

"Everyone involved was there for the same reason: to bring the missing person home safely. Finding them safe and well was an incredible boost for morale and a fantastic outcome for all involved."

"Not every search has such a positive outcome, which made this one especially meaningful. It was a great feeling to know we'd helped reunite someone with their family."

"Working alongside volunteers from different units and Queensland Police reinforced what can be achieved when everyone comes together with a common purpose."

These rescues are just some examples of the incredible work police and emergency services carry out every day to make a real difference in the lives of people in the community.

This follows the QPS's Recruiting Week of Action, during which several initiatives were announced to attract more of the right people to join the Service.