A 43-year-old man who went missing while walking in Watagans State Forest has been located, with emergency services now undertaking a difficult rescue operation in the Lake Macquarie region.
Police were earlier notified after Aaron Manser, 43, failed to return from a walk on Saturday afternoon. Mr Manser was last seen about 5.30pm on Saturday, 24 January 2026, walking with two dachshund dogs on a track near the Pines Camping Area, off Watagans Forest Road.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District launched a multi-agency search operation, with assistance from PolAir, Police Rescue, the NSW State Emergency Service and the Rural Fire Service.
Mr Manser was described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 178cm tall, with a medium-large build and short grey-brown hair. He also has a number tattoo on his outer left bicep and was last seen wearing a maroon shirt and black shorts.
NSW Police confirmed in an update that Mr Manser was located about 3.20am on Sunday, 25 January 2026. However, due to the difficult terrain, a rescue operation is now underway to safely extract him from the forest.
Emergency services remain on scene, and further updates are expected as the operation continues.