Bushwalkers safe, fail to tell Victorian police

A trio of Belgian backpackers who sparked a large police search in a Victorian national park forgot to tell anyone they were safe.

One of the men called triple zero on Sunday after their car got bogged in the Great Otway National Park, but the phone cut out during the call.

He told police he and his son were lost and they were about 30 minutes from Forrest Apollo Bay Road.

That sparked a large police search, with a helicopter sent up to search for the two men.

But a backpacker hostel employee called police on Monday after realising three men who returned to the accommodation about 6pm on Sunday were likely the missing group.

"They managed to get themselves free and return back to their accommodation but did not inform emergency services," a police spokeswoman said.

Police spoke to the men, who are safe and well and are travelling to South Australia.