Body Found in Search for Missing Man

The body of a man believed to be 86-year-old Coolgardie prospector Ronald Potter, who had been missing for more than a week, was found yesterday afternoon.

Police say the body was found about 4PM in the area where teams were searching for the well-known Coolgardie resident.

The discovery comes after four mounted police officers and four specialist trackers arrived at the search headquarters to join 12 State Emergency Service volunteers and police as they focused on an area where Mr Potter’s car was found on Monday afternoon.

The police reinforcements arrived after search teams found recently discarded water bottles and ribbons tied to trees, which police believe were left by Mr Potter to give search teams an indication of where he was going.

The Ford Courier was found bogged in the bush 15km south of Coolgardie, near a mining tenement owned by Mr Potter and about 7km from a shack he frequented on the lease.

The last confirmed sighting of Mr Potter was last Tuesday when a woman spoke to him outside the Coolgardie Post Office.

The alarm was raised by a friend and neighbour around 10AM on Sunday.

A land search was launched shortly afterwards and an aerial search began on Sunday afternoon.

Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious and a report would be prepared for the coroner.