SES volunteers find Juliana Jaramillo Castrillon after she was reported missing near Cooktown

A three-day aerial and ground search for a woman reported missing near Cooktown after a music festival has concluded with a positive outcome. Read what police said.

UPDATE: Police have been advised that SES volunteers have located 36-year-old woman Juliana Jaramillo Castrillon, who was reported missing near Cooktown since Saturday.

She is currently being walked to Home Rule where a medical assessment will take place.

Police thanked the volunteers, community, public and media for their assistance.

EARLIER: The best friend of a Byron Bay business woman who has been missing since Saturday has described the stress the family is facing living on the other side of the world.

Juliana Jaramillo Castrillon, 36, was last seen hiking from Cedar Bay towards Home Rule on Saturday after attending the Orin-Aya festival the week before.

Her best friend Alejandra Correa said her friends and family were very worried.

“She was meant to be back on the weekend, she sent us an email saying she would be back,” Ms Correa said.

“If she said that and she didn’t make it. I think something has happened, she just doesn’t make plans like that and not adhere to them.

“We’ve got a few people travelling there, her sister is already there with two more friends, they have reached Cooktown by now.”

Ms Correa said the rest of the family was in Colombia and were very worried.

“They are just on the phone all the time, pushing and trying to get information,” she said.

“They are trying to help because it’s hard to be far away.”

Ms Correa said Ms Castrillon is a very community focused person who has worked hard on her collective lifestyle and homewares retail showroom, Byron Bay Traders.

“She has put a lot of effort into this craft shop and she’s trying to get the community together,” she said.

“By teaching people how to do craft, bringing live music into the place. She is trying to help the community all the time.

“Before she went to Byron Bay, she used to live in Sydney, she had a student agency helping international students.

“She is always thinking about the community.

Ms Castrillon’s family and friends are trying hard to get involved in the search.

“We are creating a GoFundMe page to collect some funds to get small technology involved in the search, like drones that can help,” she said.

This comes after a 49-year-old Indigenous artist, Clarence Ball, was killed on the first night of the four-day festival after the vehicle lost control on Homerule Road at Rossvile.

Efforts to find Ms Castrillon started on Monday and Tuesday when police did an aerial search of the area but couldn’t locate her.

“From my understanding when she walked off she had nothing with her,” Acting Inspector Dave Perry said.

“To understand the terrain it’s a 14km walk which National Parks has classified as strenuous activity with some extremely difficult terrain once you get off the walking track.

“Having been involved in searches before, the fact that you have access to clean water, survivability is very high. I wouldn’t be concerned about survivability.”

Act Insp Perry said areas of concern were the wildlife and dangerous waterways.

So far he said the main area they were searching was the Home Rule end of the walking track and the Cedar Bay end.

“My understanding is today (Wednesday) there was five SES staff have come in from the Home Rule end, there was two tactical crime police officers plus a local person who has extensive knowledge of the track,” he said.

“As of tomorrow (Thursday), my understanding is we have a minimum of ten SES staff plus we are recruiting more resources out of the police our Far North district to conduct the search

“We are again appealing to anyone who has recently seen or spoken to Juliana or if you have any information in relation to her whereabouts we urge them to contact police.”

Originally published as SES volunteers find Juliana Jaramillo Castrillon after she was reported missing near Cooktown