Samantha Murphy: Grim warning issued as search for volunteers continues
Samantha Murphy has not been seen since the morning of February 4
Good Samaritans wanting to join the search for missing mother-of-three Samantha Murphy have been warned to be careful due to treacherous terrain.
Volunteers have taken it upon themselves to coordinate searches in the Woowookarung Regional Park, northwest of Melbourne, since the official search for Ms Murphy was scaled back on Saturday.
The 51-year-old has not been seen since the morning of February 4, when she disappeared while running through the national forest.
Ballarat Mayor Des Hudson said it was encouraging to see locals keen to help with the search, but there were many risks in the rugged bushland.
“It is important that they heed the advice posted on the front door of the Buninyong Police Station identifying areas of interest to search and strategies to stay safe,” he said. Sky News.
“The last thing we want and emergency services need is for resources to reach someone who is lost.”
Volunteers are asked to search in pairs and ensure they have enough food and water.
Local volunteers coordinating their own search have been urged to be careful around the rouh area in the national forest where Ms Murphy disappeared.
Organizers also wrote down the names and numbers of those who helped in the search.
Locals had previously expressed concerns about mine shafts around the national forest that are not easily visible.
“Ballarat is a city built on gold, there are a lot of gold mines – and people should keep that in mind when they search,” Mayor Hudson added.
There were 28 people helping in the search on Sunday, according to a Facebook group set up to help with Ms Murphy's disappearance and which has now closed.
The warnings come next professional tracker Jake Cassar told Daily Mail Australia Mrs Murphy could survive in the bush for weeks, provided she has access to water.
“She could absolutely still be alive if she found her way to water,” he said.
“You can survive about three days without water and about a month without food, but people have survived for months in the past.”
Mrs Murphy disappeared without a trace after walking 12 miles through the national park
He said police usually call off searches between five and nine days due to a lack of funding and resources
Mr Cassar urged authorities to call on bush trackers to help, saying he would be willing to organize his own search.
“It's not a good way to be left to the elements,” he said.
'The SES does a great job, as do the police, but volunteers need to return to their families and their jobs.'
The official police search for Ms Murphy has now been transferred to the Missing Persons Unit a full search will not resume until new information emerges.