{"id":21489,"date":"2026-05-30T21:18:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T21:18:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/21489\/"},"modified":"2026-05-30T21:18:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T21:18:05","slug":"life-and-death-in-the-outback-why-australians-are-still-dying-in-the-bush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/21489\/","title":{"rendered":"Life and death in the outback: Why Australians are still dying in the bush"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s the road trip Kelly Townsend has been dreading.<\/p>\n

Driving into the desert to try to find the place her son and ex-husband died.<\/p>\n

\"A Kelly Townsend says it breaks her heart that her son’s death could have been easily prevented.(ABC News: Chris Lewis)<\/p>\n

“I’m feeling a bit anxious and overwhelmed,” she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“This doesn’t feel good \u2026 it doesn’t feel good at all.”<\/p>\n

Her son James, 33, and former husband Ray, 66, died in 2024 during a prospecting trip in the remote Murchison region of Western Australia.<\/p>\n

Their empty camp was reported to authorities; three days later searchers found their bodies lying two kilometres away.<\/p>\n

\"A Ray Dampsey was described as a quiet man who loved spending time with his sons.(Supplied: ABC News)\"An Local prospectors discovered the Dempsey’s empty campsite, and reported it to police.(Supplied: Western Australia police)\"A Kelly’s fondest memories are of visiting her son James at the remote properties where he worked.(Supplied: Kelly Townsend)<\/p>\n

It appeared they’d set off on foot, became disorientated, and \u2014 with no way to call for help \u2014 succumbed to the elements.<\/p>\n

Now, Kelly is hoping to visit their final campsite for the first time, as she wrestles with the unfinished business of two premature deaths that could have been prevented.<\/p>\n

“I still haven’t got my head around the fact that they’re gone” Kelly says quietly, as our car tears down the gravel track.<\/p>\n

“And the heartbreaking thing is that if the boys had a PLB with them, they could have set it off and had help.<\/p>\n

“And my son would still be here with me today.”<\/p>\n

She is talking about personal locator beacons (PLBs) \u2014 the small, life-saving emergency devices that can slot in your pocket for as little as $300.<\/p>\n

\"An Authorities say a personal locator beacon can be life saving when camping in the outback because it sends a signal via satellite to emergency services when activated.(ABC News: Chris Lewis)\"Rocks The Murchison region is popular among prospectors.(ABC News: Erin Parke)\"An A group of people stranded on a remote track wave to a passing plane for assistance.(Supplied: Jon Lark\u00a0)<\/p>\n

Because amid her grief, Kelly is on a mission.<\/p>\n

She wants everyone going bush to carry a PLB. Because she knows firsthand how deadly outback Australia can be. And because she knows the nightmare she’s living could have been avoided.<\/p>\n

\"A James and Ray Dempsey in an undated photo.(Supplied: Kelly Tonwsend)More people lost in the bush<\/p>\n

Across Australia, people are continuing to get lost and die in the outback, despite the availability of cheap and easy emergency equipment making almost every incident preventable.<\/p>\n

National data shows an 11 per cent increase in land searches in the last year.<\/p>\n

Many are in urban areas, for children or people with dementia who have wandered away from home.<\/p>\n

But authorities say the most difficult, deadly and preventable searches are for people missing in the bush.<\/p>\n

\"AMSA An AMSA search plane spotted this fire lit by people trying to attract help while lost in the WA Goldfields region.(Supplied: Australian Maritime Safety Authority)\"A Australian National Search and Rescue Council chairman Alex Barrell.(ABC News: Luke Stephenson)<\/p>\n

Alex Barrell chairs the National Search and Rescue Council, and says most involve locals rather than tourists.<\/p>\n

“It’s a combination of bushwalkers and hikers, to remote workers and farmers,” he says.<\/p>\n

“We’ve also seen more people get involved in outdoor activities, so there’s an increase in 4wd’ing and camping, which is great that people are getting out there.<\/p>\n

“But I think complacency is a big part of it \u2014 an over-reliance on familiar knowledge and not having a plan for what to do if things don’t go to plan.”<\/p>\n

‘It’s heartbreaking’<\/p>\n

Every year, more than 3,000 land searches are conducted nationally.<\/p>\n

In some cases people are rescued. In others, they’re found dead. And some people \u2014 such as South Australian prospector Alan Graham<\/a>, Tasmanian man Peter Willoughby<\/a>, and station worker Mark Sear<\/a> \u2014 are never found at all.<\/p>\n

“It’s a frustrating situation, and it’s also heartbreaking,” says Jim Armstrong, who’s from the WA Police Emergency Operations Unit.<\/p>\n

“It’s tragic when people have passed away because they’ve made basic mistakes.”<\/p>\n

Over the years, his team has rescued people so dehydrated that they’re hallucinating about swans and rabbits, and he’s seen people die just a few hundred metres from safety.<\/p>\n

\"A Sergeant Jim Armstrong from WA Police has been involved in many avoidable rescue missions.(ABC News: Glyn Jones)\"An Police searching for a traveller who was reported missing after a vehicle breakdown in WA’s Wheatbelt region.(ABC News)\"A Prospector Brian Brady was found close to death after four days lost in bush near Mt Magnet in WA’s Murchison region(Supplied: Western Australia police)<\/p>\n

And according to Sergeant Armstrong, the evolution of emergency communication equipment means almost every situation is avoidable.<\/p>\n

“Every search is a race against time, because we have what we call a ‘time frame for survival’,” he says.<\/p>\n

“And these days every search and rescue should really just be a rescue \u2014 you let us know you’re in trouble, and we’ll come pick you up,” he says.<\/p>\n

“We cannot emphasise enough \u2014 pack lots of supplies, stay with your vehicle if things go wrong, but most of all, carry a PLB with you at all times.”<\/p>\n

Near-death experiences<\/p>\n

So how do experienced travellers and locals end up dying in the bush?<\/p>\n

Fatalities are often linked to people stranded from vehicle breakdowns, flat tyres or wrong turns taken on a scenic trail.<\/p>\n

Those who’ve had near-death experiences say things can go wrong much more quickly than you’d think.<\/p>\n

\"A The Meekatharra pub was a refuge while Kelly and her youngest son waited out the rescue.(ABC News: Erin Parke)\"A Kelly and her youngest son faced an excruciating wait at their accommodation in Meekaratha as the search ramped up.(ABC News: Erin Parke)\"meekatharra\" Ray and James Dempsey had been prospecting about 50 minutes south of Meekatharra before they died.\u00a0(ABC News: Jake Sturmer)<\/p>\n

Landline has interviewed several people who almost died, and their stories are harrowing.<\/p>\n

The painful blisters, the growing sense of dread, the hallucinations, and the life and death decisions made as mental functioning deteriorate.<\/p>\n

But amid the nightmare scenarios are a deep gratitude for police and volunteers, and some wise words for those heading bush.<\/p>\n

‘You bloody idiot’<\/p>\n

Brian Brady never expected to get lost.<\/p>\n

His ordeal began in May 2023, when the retired truck driver was camping with a couple of friends in the Murchison region, about 650 kilometres north-east of Perth.<\/p>\n

“The fellas were cooking dinner and I thought, ‘there’s an hour of daylight, I’ll just take my metal detector and go for a short walk around the camp’,” he said.<\/p>\n

\"A Brian Brady was going for a short walk when he realised he didn’t know the way back to camp.(ABC News: Aran Hart)\"A Brian Brady’s rescue was filmed by WA police.(ABC News: Aran Hart)\"CLose Brian Brady has shared his survival story with ABC to try to warn others to be careful in the bush.(ABC News: Aran Hart)<\/p>\n

Within minutes his detector was making promising sounds. Hot on the scent, with his eyes glued to the ground, he tracked along a rocky wash-out.<\/p>\n

“I just kept going until I was further away than I thought, and then suddenly realised I wasn’t sure which way was back.<\/p>\n

“I thought ‘you bloody idiot’ \u2014 I knew I’d left my safety gear back in my car.<\/p>\n

“And I thought to myself, this isn’t good.”A wrong call<\/p>\n

In that moment, Brian made a critical decision. And it was the wrong decision. Rather than staying where he was, he figured he could find his way back. And so he began walking.<\/p>\n

“If I’d have stayed where I was, I’d have been found quickly \u2014 the guys had already called the police by 6pm” he reflects.<\/p>\n

“But I just felt so bad about the trouble I was about to cause, inconveniencing all of those people, and I just thought, with an hour of moonlight, surely I can find a track.”<\/p>\n

The first night was cold, and he curled in the fetal position under a bush, trying to shiver himself to sleep.<\/p>\n

\"A Searchers gather amid ongoing efforts to find missing prospector Brian Brady.\u00a0(Supplied: Western Australia police)<\/p>\n

The next day he began walking towards what he thought was a caravan shimmering in the distance. But it was an illusion \u2014 a mine site too far away to reach on foot.<\/p>\n

But on he walked, the backs of his hands blistering in the sun and clouds of flies clamouring for the moisture of his nose and mouth.<\/p>\n

“Towards the end of the third day I couldn’t stand up any more \u2014 I was too weak.” he says.<\/p>\n

“I was thinking about my family a lot, but I was pretty calm about the idea of passing away\u2026 if it’s going to happen it’s going to happen, and it’s my fault.<\/p>\n

“So I camped under a bush and that’s as far as I got.”<\/p>\n

A lucky rescue<\/p>\n

On day four Brian Brady was found alive<\/a>. But only just.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Police technicians, installing a radio transmitter, spotted Brian’s legs where he lay under a tree, dipping in and out of consciousness.<\/p>\n

Video footage shows police and paramedics swarming Brian, providing his body with desperately-needed warmth and liquid.<\/p>\n

He was just a few hours from death.<\/p>\n

\"A Outback near Demspey campsite.(ABC News: Chris Lewis)\"A Brian Brady was found close to death after four days wandering lost in the bush.(Supplied: WA Police)\"A Brian Brady being taken to the nearest hospital in Cue immediately after his rescue.\u00a0(Supplied: WA Police)<\/p>\n

Sergeant Armstrong, who was involved in the search for Brian, says it was a surprise result.<\/p>\n

“Mr Brady was an extremely lucky person,” he says.<\/p>\n

“He was very weak and disorientated, and right on the cusp of what we call the ‘time frame for survival’.”<\/p>\n

Brian isn’t prone to philosophising, but acknowledges the experience changed his perspective.<\/p>\n

“These days I won’t even go to the toilet without a bloody tracker,” he chuckles.<\/p>\n

“And I want people to know the police and the rescue people were absolutely amazing.<\/p>\n

“The other thing I learnt the hard way was, if you get in trouble, stay where you are.”<\/p>\n

One careless error<\/p>\n

Another who survived to tell the tale is experienced hiker Neil Campbell, who was rescued from the WA Wheatbelt in November 2024.<\/p>\n

A retired forensic scientist, Dr Campbell had decades of orienteering under his belt before one short walk up a hilltop went horribly wrong.<\/p>\n

\"A Neil Campbell is sharing his experience in the hope of warning others about outback safety.(ABC News: Erin Parke)\"A Ian Campbell with a photograph taken minutes after he was rescued by WA Police.(ABC News: Erin Parke)<\/p>\n

The 72 year old was doing a series of solo walks in the Helena and Aurora Range.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I though, I’ll just take some photos of the scenery to show my wife, ” he reflects.<\/p>\n

“But I walked down the wrong side of the ridge-line, and couldn’t find my car, and walked around for about five hours trying to find it.<\/p>\n

By 7pm he’d finished his water.<\/p>\n

He paused and assessed his options.<\/p>\n

“I decided the best thing to do was go into survival mode, so I made a bit of a cubby under a fallen log where I could wait it out.”<\/p>\n

Crucially, Neil’s wife knew where he was and when he was due back, so he was confident a search would be underway within a couple of days.<\/p>\n

After three days huddling out of the sun and reluctantly sipping his urine, Neil was found by WA Police searchers.<\/p>\n

\"a Neil Campbell took this photo of from the Aurora Ranges just minutes before he took a wrong turn.(Supplied: Neil Campbell)\"A Neil Campbell says his experience highlights how quickly and easily you can get lost in the bush.(Supplied: Neil Campbell)\"A Neil Campbell photographed with his rescuers just a few minutes after he was found.\u00a0(Supplied: Neil Campbell)<\/p>\n

They’d spotted a sign he’d marked out on a nearby track with sticks and rocks.<\/p>\n

“To be honest the whole thing’s a bit embarrassing \u2014 it was a careless error,” he says looking back.<\/p>\n

“But the point is, I should have had my PLB and more water with me, not left it back in the car.<\/p>\n

“These things can happen much more quickly than you think.”<\/p>\n

‘A Hateful Land’<\/p>\n

Back in the Murchison, Kelly is approaching the campsite where her son and former husband died.<\/p>\n

The day is heating up, and shards of quartz glint in the hard red rock.<\/p>\n

\"A The area where Brian Brady went missing was dry and cold during the nighttime.(ABC News: Chris Lewis)<\/p>\n

Along the way, Kelly has been describing happy memories of her late son James.<\/p>\n

“He was very caring, very loving, and he had this contagious giggle that he kept all his life,” she recalls.<\/p>\n

“I still miss that sound.”<\/p>\n

\"A James Townsend as a child, and photographed at a family gathering not long before his death.<\/p>\n

Kelly and Ray had divorced after more than a decade of marriage, but \u00a0had remained on good terms.<\/p>\n

“Ray was a quiet person. He wasn’t good with crowds, but he loved spending time with his boys.”<\/p>\n

\"A Kelly and Ray separated in 1999, but remained on good terms as they raised their three sons.(Supplied: Kelly Townsend)<\/p>\n

Now, as we retrace the pair’s final journey, there’s a growing sense of foreboding.<\/p>\n

We’ve already taken several wrong turns down isolated tracks, the moments of disorientation a jolting reminder of fragility.<\/p>\n

“It feels like a hateful land,” Kelly says, gazing out at the window at the flashing landscape.<\/p>\n

“It’s bringing back all those unanswered questions of what went so horribly wrong.”<\/p>\n

We swing up the final embankment, and walk silently to the clump of trees where James and Ray spent their final night at camp.<\/p>\n

Final camp<\/p>\n

Kelly’s shocked to see some of their gear still laying faded and bleached in the sun. Their gazebo sits awkwardly, poles akimbo, a final physical relic of two lives lost in this faraway place.<\/p>\n

“Being here is hard, and I’ve got few words,” she says falteringly.<\/p>\n

“I don’t know whether to yell, scream, cry \u2014 I just don’t know.”<\/p>\n

\"A Kelly Townsend visiting the place her son and ex-husband camped in the nights before their deaths.(ABC News: Chris Lewis)\"A Kelly Townsend found a bottle top of her son’s favourite beer at their final campsite.(ABC News: Erin Parke)\"A Kelly Townsend photographed at the final campsite of her late son and former husband.(ABC News: Erin Parke)<\/p>\n

She believes the men most likely set off at night-time to try to avoid the heat of the day.<\/p>\n

Their bodies were found three days into a large-scale search, located under trees not far apart, \u00a0around two kilometres away from camp.<\/p>\n

Should PLB’s be mandatory?<\/p>\n

Amid Kelly’s grief is confusion and anger.<\/p>\n

About why James and Ray chose to camp in such a dangerously hot place.<\/p>\n

And why they spent $7,500 on a new metal detector but not $300 on a PLB.<\/p>\n

“This trip has put a real fire in my belly about safety,” she says.<\/p>\n

\"A Prospectors are often secretive about their locations, making it difficult to find them when things go wrong.(ABC News: Chris Lewis)<\/p>\n

Kelly would like to see PLBs made mandatory, similar to how regulation requires EPIRBs are carried on boats in remote waters.<\/p>\n

It’s an idea supported by some local governments, who see firsthand the resources and trauma involved.<\/p>\n

But there’s little sign of support from state and territory agencies, who continue to focus on personal responsibility when it comes to outback safety.<\/p>\n

Final chapter<\/p>\n

Kelly can’t decide where to scatter James’ ashes.<\/p>\n

She wants no lasting connection to the ancient landscape where he died, instead focusing on the happy times they shared at family gatherings and on the cattle stations where he worked for 15 years.<\/p>\n

\"An Kelly Townsend is still deciding where to scatter the ashes of her late son James.(ABC News: Erin Parke)<\/p>\n

“I think James would be proud of me, for trying to get the message out there,” she reflects.<\/p>\n

“Please, please, please, carry a PLB on your body, because it can make the difference between life and death.<\/p>\n

“I don’t want anyone else to experience this heartache \u2014 there are no words for how this feels.”<\/p>\n

\"Sunset Sunset near Meekatharra, which is a popular area for prospectors.(ABC News: Erin Parke)Credits<\/p>\n

Photography: Chris Lewis, Glyn Jones, Luke Stephenson<\/p>\n

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