Family Missing in Outback Found Alive After Three-Day Search
In a heart-stopping turn of events, a family who had gone missing in a remote, flooded region of Australia’s outback have been miraculously found alive after a grueling three-day search.
Desperate Journey
The family of seven embarked on a perilous journey on Sunday, with a plan to cover 400 miles (650km) from Kalgoorlie Boulder to Tjuntjuntjara, in Western Australia. However, alarm bells started ringing when they failed to reach their destination in the Aboriginal community.
Fears intensified as the region was hit with an unprecedented amount of rain, equivalent to more than six months’ worth, in just 24 hours. The concern was that their two cars, carrying three elderly individuals and four children aged seven to 17, could have gotten stuck in the treacherous mud, as reported by the Guardian.
Family and friends were unable to reach the group, leaving everyone in a state of uncertainty regarding their supplies and well-being. “They are important parts of the community, they are elders and artists, and their family is very anxious to hear from them,” expressed John Lark, chief executive of the Paupiyala Tjarutja Aboriginal Corporation, to the Guardian before their discovery.
Against All Odds
The initial search efforts were severely hampered by the adverse weather conditions, which flooded highways and even shut down the main railway connecting to the eastern states. Despite Western Australia Police temporarily suspending the search on Tuesday, hope was reignited when the aerial search resumed on Wednesday.
Within hours of the search resuming, the family was spotted from the air, standing by one of their cars. Western Australia Police immediately provided provisions to the relieved family as they awaited evacuation to the city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
Relief and Gratitude
Expressing his relief, Premier Roger Cooke hailed the outcome as “a great outcome.” He extended his gratitude to all the involved authorities and search parties for their relentless efforts in locating the missing family.
The community members, equally relieved, shared their emotions with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Rhonda Thorncroft, a member of the community, expressed, “I didn’t think it would be quite so emotional because they’re really bush savvy, we thought they’d be okay. But we didn’t know where they were, the road is incredibly treacherous at the moment. We were really worried about the little one, well all of them… we’ll be very happy to see them home, that’s for sure.”
What a rollercoaster of emotions for this resilient family and their anxious community, but thankfully, this story has a happy ending. — BBC
