The body of an elderly German tourist has been found in the Northern Territory’s remote outback as police continue to search for the man’s wife.
A ground and air search was launched on Sunday after a ranger found a car thought to belong to the couple, aged in their 70s, at Trephina Gorge, northeast of Alice Springs.
The ranger said the hire car had been there since Friday morning, and police on Monday confirmed the body of a 76-year-old man had been found.
Additional resources were deployed to the search on Monday, including police mounted on horseback.
The ranger who found the car said it had been in the car park for two days, territory duty superintendent Rob Burgoyne said.
“He followed some tracks to a fence line which had recently been washed away and he believed that there were two persons who had walked from the vehicle,” Burgoyne said.
The 76-year-old man and 73-year-old woman arrived in Australia at the start of the month and hired a car from Alice Springs airport on 9 February. The next day they drove more than 70km east to Trephina Gorge.
“We have grave concerns for their safety because it’s been 40C heat down in that area and because these people are of advanced age,” Burgoyne said earlier on Monday.
Authorities have contacted the German consulate to try to find out more about the couple, including any possible medical conditions, and to contact their family.
A helicopter was sent to scour the area on Sunday while police, SES personnel and a park ranger searched on foot.'
Source:Guardian
No comments:
Post a Comment