Telling change in police approach as search for Pheobe continues
Police have made a significant change as they continue to comb through bush for missing teenager Pheobe Bishop. LATEST
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A police cadaver dog has been deployed in the search for missing teenager Pheobe Bishop.
Police have been searching bushland within the Good Night Scrub National Park south of Gin Gin for the last two days.
A dirt track in the middle of the dense national park, named for its notoriously thick forest, is currently the main site of interest for police.
On Sunday morning, officers were seen being led by a police cadaver dog through the remote area.
Cadaver dogs are specially trained to locate human remains.
Early Sunday afternoon, a LifeFlight helicopter began a low flight over the search site on Gayndah Rd, concentrating on a patch of forest southwest of Gin Gin for an hour before making a turn back towards Bundaberg.
Joining police on Sunday were dozens of SES volunteers tasked with scouring the dense pine forest looking for any sign of the missing teen.
For the past three days drones and a dive squad have been deployed.
It comes after vision of what’s believed to be the vehicle at the centre of the police investigation emerged online.
In CCTV footage posted to Facebook, which has since been deleted, a vehicle which appears to be the grey Hyundai ix35 can be seen driving through a backstreet of Gin Gin.
The footage was captured just after 10.30am on May 15, only two hours after Pheobe was alleged to have been dropped to Bundaberg Airport to fly to Brisbane.
On Saturday, forensic officers could be seen carting items in bags out of the Good Night Scrub National Park where police, SES crews and a QFD drone operator remained on scene throughout the afternoon.
SES personnel from Bundaberg, Elliot Heads, Moore Park, Gin Gin, Gladstone, Calliope, Mount Perry, Bargara and Tiaro have been called in to assist with the search.
Pheobe’s mother Kylie Johnson posted to her Facebook page on Saturday night, promising her daughter she would not give up on finding her.
In the post, Ms Johnson reflected on Pheobe’s ‘Pop’, who would often call her ‘Flea’.
“Me and Poppy were the only two people ever allowed to call you that.. When Pop passed away, your world shattered into a million pieces and so did that of your siblings,” the post read.
“We have the light on to guide you home, Flea! It’s on the house and across the country and continent.. You have travelled to so many countries in the last week baby girl.”
Ms Johnson said she prayed the “lights of Gin Gin and the world” would guide Pheobe home.
“Our lives and existence is nothing without you in our lives .. We just need to know where you are and if you’re safe,” she said.
“I promise you, Pheobe! We as a family won’t give up on finding you and bringing you home.”
Earlier, Pheobe’s housemate James Wood shared a post from the Queensland Police Service on May 16 in which he offered a “reward” for anyone with information or a “legit address” where the 17-year-old could be.
“Please anyone with any information at all please contact police link or reach out someone anything at all,” he wrote.
“Any little bit of information can help please if you know somthing (sic) please contact her family if you know where she is and can give her family a legit address to bring her home or make contact with her you can my fishing boat as a reward 15 ft alloy tinnie with trailer and all it’s not much but it’s yours if you know where she is and please homie if you see this please just contact one of us and let us know your ok please amigo I need to know your safe that’s all I just wanna know my 5/8th is somewhere safe if your seeing this there is one very lost sad little chonker puppa at home missing you like crazy amigo please phee just reach out.”
Speaking outside the Good Night Scrub National Park staging area on Saturday morning, search coordinator Senior Constable Matthew Baker said: “Anyone with dashcam, CCTV footage including bush cam CCTV are encouraged to contact police if they have footage around May 15”.
“This includes vision of the Mingo Rd and Gayndah Rd areas,” he said.
“Anyone who has seen or has heard of a Hyundai ix35 are encouraged to contact police.
“The search of the Good Night park area is crucial to the police investigation.”
On Friday, Detective Acting Inspector Ryan Thompson confirmed police had widened their search.
“We are searching for any evidence or any information that might assist police in helping to try and find Pheobe,” he said.
“Police have had assistance from the dive squad, in relation to searching some waterways today.
“We are asking any members of the community who may have been out in that area of Good Night Scrub, Mingo Road area, Gayndah Rd area on May 15 to please come forward if they’ve noticed any suspicious activity out in that area,” he said.
The dense hoop pine forest where the search is being conducted is ordinarily a hive for hikers and day trippers wanting to make use of the expansive 6680ha national park.
According to local folklore, the scrub was so notoriously thick it was thought impossible to ride or walk through and dubbed “Goodnight” scrub as one could “kiss your cattle goodnight” if any escaped into the bush.
Accessed only by fire trails (there’s no official roads) the “dry rainforest” edges Paradise Dam.
Insp Thompson said police were trying to gather as much CCTV as possible in relation to the teen’s last movements.
Insp Thompson said police were still going through evidence relating to the vehicle seized by police.
“There are numerous persons that police have spoken to in relation to this, obviously as time goes by police have greater concerns as to her disappearance,” he said.
“There is no specific persons of interest, however police are following up all avenues of inquiry.
“Police have spoken to those persons (her housemates) previously and there are numerous persons have assisted police with our investigation.”
Insp Thompson said Pheobe was a “really relatable person to the rest of her family and a lovely young girl”.
“And we’re trying our best to find her,” he said.
“We never give up hope, we certainly hope so and I’m sure her family are hoping so as well.
“Police are keeping all options open, we’re certainly very hopeful that she is still alive.
“Obviously they are wanting Pheobe to make contact with them, they are asking for some privacy at this point in time as they are processing what is happening, and we are keeping in contact with them.”
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