The incident marked the third missing person search of the prospecting season and sparked renewed calls from the Western Australian Mines Department for more safety awareness.

“Although this had a happy ending, it highlights a potentially deadly situation because the prospector did not have a set schedule for phoning home to his family,” Mines Minister Bill Marmion said today.

“Some people may dismiss this by saying all’s well that ends well but this was a stressful situation involving considerable police resources.”

Aircraft searches cost up to $A5000 per hour and missing prospector searches average 11.3 hours, with many lasting one or two days.

The search for New South Wales man Robin Ballard began on Monday night and was widened with use of a plan on Tuesday but neither search located the prospector.

“This incident emphasises how important it is for prospectors to follow these safety rules, including the need to carry personal locator beacons,” Marmion said.

“These devises can make it much faster for rescuers to get to someone in distress.”

Marmion reminded prospectors of the government’s safety awareness program in the leaflet Seven Golden Rules for Prospecting, saying details could be obtained at Mines Department offices.

According to the department, 23 prospectors have been reported missing since 2011.

More than 3100 miner’s right licences have been issued so far for the 2014 season.