Challenges faced by police in hunt for alleged Mullewa gunman
SOURCE:ABC Australia|BY:Cason Ho, Brianna Melville, Bransen Gibson, and Claire Moodie
A search and rescue specialist details the significant hurdles faced by police as the manhunt for an alleged gunman in Western Australia's Midwest enters its fifth day.
A search and rescue specialist has detailed the significant challenges faced by police as the manhunt for an alleged gunman in Western Australia's Midwest enters its fifth day.
WA Police have deployed significant resources since Wednesday night to search for 58-year-old Kenneth John Giles in connection with a shooting in the rural town of Mullewa which left a woman with a gunshot wound to her hand.
Jim Whitehead is a search and rescue expert who worked as a police officer for four decades.
Superintendent Neil Vanderplank said on Friday police expected Mr Giles was "laying quite low" and believed he was capable of hunting and surviving off the land.
Mr Whitehead said securing water and shelter would be key to surviving in the arid bushland.
"Definitely you need shelter to get out of the weather, the sun, the wind," he said.
"Without water you can't survive at all.
"For him to be surviving it'd be somewhere where there's access to water and shelter which would be old farms, abandoned buildings and that sort of thing."
The terrain around Mullewa near to where the shooting happened. (ABC News: Brianna Melville)
Mr Whitehead said it was also possible Mr Giles could be sheltering in his car, which he could have disguised using mud from a watering hole, or branches.
Bush survival instructor Gordon Dedman believed Giles may have camouflaged or hidden his vehicle in some way and continued on foot, given his ute had not yet been detected from the air.
“Tracks in the outback are quite easy to follow from a distance and a white vehicle would stick out,” he said.
Mr Dedman said trackers with the skills required to follow his trail would need to be brought into the search if Giles was not found or didn't turn himself in.
Town quiet
A significant police presence was seen in Mullewa after the alleged shooting, including reinforcements from the Tactical Response Group and Police Air Wing.
The ABC understands Mr Giles had been staying at his partner's property where the incident occurred.
The property on Urawa Road where Kenneth Giles allegedly shot a woman in the hand. (ABC News: Brianna Melville)
The Mullewa town site has since quietened down after days of frenetic activity with police relocating their command post to Geraldton, about 100km away.
The Mullewa police station appeared empty on Saturday. (ABC News: Brianna Melville)
Police aircraft, armoured tactical vehicles, and emergency services which had flooded into Mullewa have mostly disappeared.
'Hand yourself in'
Mullewa resident Brian Bone, who said he used to employ Mr Giles, said the terrain around Mullewa would be difficult to hide in.
Farmer Brian Bone says he has known Kenneth Giles for more than 50 years. (ABC News: Bransen Gibson)
"It's a desert, and it's extremely sparse, and very low scrub, very little water," Mr Bone said.
"Ken, he would know the country, he knows the countryside pretty well, and so none of that would be a problem."
Mr Bone believed Mr Giles could survive in the bush for weeks, but was still surprised police had not found him.
Mr Bone said he was not a close friend of Mr Giles, but had known him "on and off … all his life".
"Gilesy, just walk out," Mr Bone said.
"Just walk out and hand yourself in, and then we'll work it out."
Experienced bushman
Mr Giles' neighbour Jeffrey Johnson said he believed he was a very capable bushman.
"Very familiar with this dry, arid country. He knows where there's water and where to go, that's for sure," he said.
A creek runs through the Urawa Reserve near to where Kenneth Giles went missing. (ABC News: Brianna Melville)
"As long as you've got a rifle you can get a feed."
Mr Giles is understood to have been wielding a long-range rifle when he fled.
Police say Mr Giles should not be approached if seen, with locals asked to contact Triple Zero (000) with any sightings.
He is described as 173cm tall, of medium build, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Police believed he was driving a white Nissan Patrol ute with the registration 1BIY336.