Helicopter and police on motorbikes searching for missing day-trip group in Lake Surprise

UPDATE: A party of five missing near Tennant Creek has been found by NT Police, after a search began on Monday morning.

NT Police are searching for an overdue party from the air and on motorbikes and 4WDs

UPDATE: A party of five missing near Tennant Creek has been found by NT Police, after a search began on Monday morning.

NT Police told the NT News the party were found by authorities about 4.45 on Monday afternoon.

Police had dispatched a search helicopter from Alice Springs to accompany Police on motorbikes and 4WDs after they failed to return from a day trip to Lake Surprise on Sunday February 2.

More to come.

EARLIER: A helicopter and police using motorbikes and 4WDs are searching the Lake Surprise area for three adults and two children, overdue from a Sunday day trip.

The helicopter has been dispatched from Alice Springs to help search the area, 20km south west of Tennant Creek.

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Police are searching for Steve Sutton, who they believe is with his cousin Charles May and Mr May’s partner Nikki, as well as the couple’s two children aged 2 and 9 months.

Mr May posted a number of videos of the wild weather in Tennant Creek on Saturday afternoon, including a 21-minute live video of him driving through flooded roads, on which Mr Sutton commented “I am at home in bed” about 9pm on Saturday night.

Mr May last posted to Facebook just after 10am on Sunday morning.

Police are concerned weather may have affected the group’s plans, with recent rainfall flooding local roads and creeks, while it is not known what supplies the group has with them.

The group travelled to the area in a Maroon Mazda Bravo ute with a canopy with NT licence plates BUNGY63 and a white Toyota dual cab hilux with NT registration plates CC47UZ.

Police urge visitors to Central Australia and the Barkly region to avoid travelling to remote areas during inclement weather and to ensure someone knows of intended departure and return times.

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NT Police are urging anyone who may have information as to the whereabouts of the group or anyone who may have heard from them recently, to contact police immediately on 131 444.