Life and death in the outback: Why Australians are still dying in the bush

Kelly driving to the campsite where her son and ex husband died in the Murchison region of WA. (ABC News: Chris Lewis)

Driving into the desert to try to find the place her son and ex-husband died.

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

Their empty camp was reported to authorities; three days later searchers found their bodies lying 2 kilometres away.

It appeared they'd set off on foot, became disorientated, and — with no way to call for help — succumbed to the elements.

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.

"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.

"And the heartbreaking thing is that if the boys had a PLB with them, they could have set it off and had help.

She is talking about personal locator beacons (PLBs) — the small, life-saving emergency devices that can slot in your pocket for as little as $300.

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.

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.

National data shows an 11 per cent increase in land searches in the past year.

Many are in urban areas, for children or people with dementia who have wandered away from home.

But authorities say the most difficult, deadly and preventable searches are for people missing in the bush.

Alex Barrell chairs the National Search and Rescue Council, and says most involve locals rather than tourists.

"It's a combination of bushwalkers and hikers, to remote workers and farmers," he says.

"We've also seen more people get involved in outdoor activities, so there's an increase in four-wheel driving and camping, which is great that people are getting out there.

"But I think complacency is a big part of it — an over-reliance on familiar knowledge and not having a plan for what to do if things don't go to plan."

Every year, more than 3,000 land searches are conducted nationally.

In some cases, people are rescued. In others, they're found dead. And some people — such as South Australian prospector Alan Graham, Tasmanian man Peter Willoughby, and station worker Mark Sear — are never foun