Missing Victorian hiker Samuel Whitsed feared lost on WA’s Bibbulmun Track
Consensus Summary
Police in Western Australia are conducting an urgent search for 27-year-old Samuel Robert Whitsed, a Victorian man missing since February 18, 2026, after he was last seen near Armadale heading toward the Bibbulmun Track. Whitsed, a known bushwalker who lives off the land, was dropped off near Brookton Highway and carried camping gear, but no further sightings have been made despite extensive searches. A green tent linked to him was found at Canning Hut in late April, prompting a nine-day operation by police, rangers, and volunteers through dense bushland. Authorities emphasize this is a welfare concern and urge the public to check sheds along the track or contact police with any information. Whitsed’s family remains deeply worried, and police have released his description, last known clothing (black trousers, light-coloured top, sandals or slides), and details of his planned route.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Samuel Robert Whitsed, 27, is a missing Victorian man last seen on February 18, 2026, near Armadale, Perth’s south-eastern fringe, heading toward the Bibbulmun Track
- Whitsed was last seen wearing black trousers, a light-coloured T-shirt or jumper, and sandals (ABC) or slides (NEWSCOMAU/Guardian)
- A green tent linked to Whitsed was found at Canning Hut (about 3–4 hours’ hike from Brookton Highway) on April 23, 2026, prompting a nine-day search (April 28–May 7) by police, rangers, and volunteers
- Police describe Whitsed as 170–180 cm tall, slim-medium build, with short brown hair, a beard, and moustache
- WA Police Senior Sergeant Rob Lewis stated the case is a ‘welfare concern’ and urged the public to check sheds along the track for Whitsed
- Whitsed was dropped off near Brookton Highway after getting a lift from a man and is known to bushwalk and ‘live off the land’
- Police recovered some of Whitsed’s camping equipment but not all of it
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- WA Police began searches along the Bibbulmun Track on April 23, 2026, after Victorian police handed over the investigation
- Whitsed’s family previously told police he had taken shelter in sheds on rural properties during bushwalking trips in Victoria
- The campsite linked to Whitsed was found near the track, and police searched the surrounding area but found no further sightings
- Whitsed made it as far as Mundaring (about 20 km from Armadale) before disappearing
- Police urged the public to contact Crime Stoppers with information
- Footage released on May 9, 2026, showed officers, rangers, and volunteers trekking through dense vegetation and rough terrain near Canning Hut and Brookton Campsite
- The search focused on areas surrounding Canning Hut and Brookton Campsite between April 28 and May 7, 2026
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC says Whitsed was last seen wearing sandals, but NEWSCOMAU and Guardian say he was wearing slides
- ABC and NEWSCOMAU describe Whitsed’s last seen clothing as a light-coloured T-shirt or jumper, but Guardian specifies a red T-shirt or light-coloured jumper (implying red as a possible color)
Source Articles
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