An urgent large-scale search is underway in central Australia for a married couple who have mysteriously disappeared while on a trip to a remote and rugged national park.
Details of the Disappearance
Alex, 64, and Marisol, 58, were last seen on Thursday, November 13, in the Palm Valley area of the Finke Gorge National Park. The popular tourist spot is known for its unique groves of rare red cabbage palms. Concerns for their safety were raised when the pair failed to make contact with their family, who last heard from them on Sunday, November 10.
According to Darwin Watch Commander Mark Edwards, the couple were in regular communication, sending photos, but have been completely silent since. "You would think that they would have come back into contact somewhere and at least reached out to the family," Commander Edwards told ABC News, highlighting the growing concern given the week that has passed.
The Search Operation Intensifies
Northern Territory Police were notified of the couple's disappearance on Monday evening and have since launched a public appeal for assistance. The pair were travelling in a silver Isuzu D-Max with Victorian registration 1VW5QH and were towing a grey Jayco J-POD caravan.
It is understood that Alex and Marisol were intending to travel to Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park but never checked in. The search effort is multi-pronged, with park rangers scouring the Finke Gorge National Park while officers from Yulara, Hermannsburg, and Mutitjulu police conduct extensive road patrols.
The remote Finke Gorge National Park is located 138km west of Alice Springs and is only accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles, complicating the search efforts. Police have confirmed that attempts to contact the couple via their mobile phones have been unsuccessful, as both devices are either switched off or out of range in an area known for its patchy or non-existent reception.
Appeal for Public Assistance
The Northern Territory Police search and rescue team has been notified and is on standby, ready to be deployed if the force decides to escalate the case. Authorities are urging anyone who may have seen the distinctive silver Isuzu vehicle with its grey caravan, or who has any information on the couple's whereabouts, to come forward immediately.
Members of the public should contact the police on 131 444 and quote the reference number NTP2500114099. Any small detail could be crucial in locating the missing pair in the vast and challenging Australian outback terrain.
