DAUGHTER'S SAD PLEA: 'We just want you back, Dad'

Lachlan Cairns hasn't been seen or heard from since 2019 with his daughter and only child making a desperate plea for the public's help

APPEAL FOR INFORMATION: Honey Cairns, the brave daughter and only child of missing man Lauchlan Cairns, has appealed for her father to contact family and police and for the public to help locating her dad. Picture: Frank Redward

WHILE holding back tears, Honey Cairns made a plea for her missing father to come home.

"We still care a lot about you, everyone cares; we just want you back," she said, days after his disappearance last year.

Lachlan Cairns, 46, was reported missing last Friday, July 12, 2019 after his red Holden Colorado utility was discovered bogged in a State Forest plantation on Dirty Creek Road, Dirty Creek.

Mr Cairns' daughter appeared before media in Coffs Harbour three days after the discovery to make an emotional appeal for public assistance to help find her father.

"In the beginning I was really upset just thinking about every possibility but I do have hope he is safe," she said.

"I believe he is safe but that he hasn't seen any media so I hope that somebody who has seen him contacts the police or anyone or if he sees this that he contacts us or the police or anyone just so this can stop and ease the pain. I just want to see him back."

Ms Cairns said her father would regularly drive through bushland and go camping on his own, but would never go this long without making contact.

Ms Cairns said her father had contacted relatives shortly after his vehicle became bogged on Dirty Creek Road, however they were unable to help him, and when they tried to reach Mr Cairns again his phone was turned off.

"He is a survivor he does have a lot of experience camping, I do believe that he is out of there but I just don't know where he is and I just hope he is safe," she said.

Coffs/Clarence Police District duty officer Detective Chief Inspector Peter Hayes confirmed at the time that police hold grave concerns for the welfare of Mr Cairns.

Lachlan Cairns has been missing for several days in a State Forest plantation. Picture: NSWPolice

"It's a remote area that he was last located at and we haven't had any contact with him since or members of his family haven't been able to speak with him," Det Chief Insp Hayes said.

An extensive search operation was conducted last week by officers from Coffs/Clarence Police District, PolAir and SES volunteers, however after failing to find anything other than Mr Cairns' bogged ute, the search was suspended.

"There's no physical search, we're just appealing for information. We believe he is out there and alive, but we're just looking for him to contact us if he is there," Det Chief Insp Hayes said in 2019.

Lachlan Cairns is described as being of Caucasian appearance, between 175-180cm tall, with a medium build, brown hair and freckles on his face.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact police immediately.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

Originally published as DAUGHTER'S SAD PLEA: 'We just want you back, Dad'