Aslan King's body found in Gellibrand River after huge search

A camping trip with mates  has come to a tragic end for tourist Aslan King, after his body was found in a river close to the area where he was last seen. The 25-year-old vanished after suffering an early-morning medical episode at a Princetown campground.   

Distraught friends of Mr King positively identified his body after it was pulled from Gellibrand River near Serpentine Creek about 10.15am today.

 

His body was spotted by a Surf Life Saving patrol boat involved in the search. 

While a Coroner will determine his cause of death, it is not being treated as suspicious.Sergeant Danny Brown said his body did not appear to have any physical injuries. 

Mr King's parents and extended family in Bristol have been notified of his death. His mother was about to board a plane to Melbourne when his body was discovered. 

The news of his death has been taken "very hard" by loved ones. 

"His friends are very distraught and upset. They have been all week," said Sgt Brown. 

"They tried their hardest to take their minds off it by helping and assisting with door knocks.

Today they were making missing person posters.

"The distress has been quite hard to watch."

Mr King was drinking with friends in a Princetown camping ground when he fell backward on his chair, striking his head on the ground beneath a parked car about 2am on Saturday. 

His friends told police he appeared to suffer a seizure or similar and they had to restrain him.

When he came to, Mr King jumped up and took off into the bush.

It was dark and his friends did not follow him.

His friends - also UK tourists - told police this was very out of character for Mr King.

"This is why it made it so hard for us (to find him) because there was no intelligence to suggest why he left or where he went," said Sgt Brown.

"His behaviour took everyone by surprise.

"By all accounts he was a very fit, physically and mentally."

Sgt Brown said extensive resources were put into the search and it did not result in the outcome police had hoped for. "But at least there is closure for his family," he said. 

British camper Aslan King is missing in bushland near the Twelve Apostles.

Parties involved in the rescue mission included the SES, Parks Victoria, Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police search and rescue, the mounted branch and the air wing.

More than 60 people were involved in the logistics and the search itself.

“We can’t thank those volunteers enough,” Acting Sen Sgt Barber said.

Mr King was travelling with a group of British mates who had only been in Australia for around a fortnight.

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He worked as an illustrator back in the UK.

Acting Senior Sergeant Travis Barber said the search area was tricky terrain.

“The coastline is undulating terrain, it is very thick bush at waist and chest height,” he said.

“To the north, the river is surrounded by thick and high reeds up to 10 feet tall in a marshy area.

Chilling Instagram footage by the British camper shows him driving along the Great Ocean Rd before reaching the Twelve Apostles on Friday.

In his video, Mr King pointed to a Parks Victoria sign, which warned of unstable cliffs and snakes.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.