Family living a ‘nightmare’, as sniffer dogs join search for missing teen

Police sniffer dogs joined the search for a missing teenage girl south-west of Bundaberg on Sunday as police scoured a massive bushland area over the weekend.

Pheobe Bishop failed to check in for her flight from Bundaberg to Western Australia about 8.30am on May 15 and has not been seen since.

The police search has focused on areas of bushland and townships around Gin Gin – 45 kilometres south-west of Bundaberg – where Pheobe had been living before she disappeared.

Police sniffer dogs were brought into the search for 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop on Sunday. Credit: Nine News Queensland

The main area of focus has been around Paradise Dam in Good Night Scrub National Park, with sniffer dogs brought in shortly before midday on Sunday.

“Us as a family would never have dreamed in a million years that we would be living through this nightmare,” Pheobe’s mother, Kylie Johnson, posted on social media on Sunday afternoon.

In the wake of public scrutiny, she added that her daughter’s father “has been fully invested in bringing Pheobe home” and “loved all his children”.

Pheobe Bishop, 17, pictured with her mother Kylie.Credit: Facebook

“Us as a family decided it’s better to keep him out of the media as he has a 13-year-old daughter that doesn’t need to be dragged into the media spotlight,” she said.

The previous day, Johnson shared information about Pheobe’s personality, taking to social media and issuing a statement with police.

“Phee still isn’t home and someone somewhere has to know something. I’m absolutely begging anyone with any information to contact the Queensland Police Service.”

Speaking on Saturday, Senior Constable Matthew Baker, the search co-ordinator, said the operation at Good Night Scrub was part of a wider search area, including around Gin Gin and Bundaberg.

Police said the Good Night Scrub National Park was a “crucial” part of their search on the weekend, bringing in sniffer dogs to scour the bushland.Credit: Nine News Queensland

“The search of the Good Night Scrub National Park area is crucial to the police investigation, and this includes the dive squad searching waterways and land areas,” he said.

“Police also have assistance from SES and [the Queensland Fire Department].”

Baker said anyone in the area with CCTV, dashcam or bushcam footage from May 15 should contact police.

“This includes any vision of the Mingo Road and Gayndah Road areas,” he said.

“Anyone who has seen or have heard of a Hyundai ix35 in the area at the time are encouraged to contact police.”

A 33-year-old woman identified by media outlets as a housemate faced court on serious charges just days before the disappearance, this masthead has confirmed.

Tanika Kristan Bromley was accused of carrying a shortened firearm and knife in public in late February.

She faced Bundaberg Magistrates Court on May 12 and remains on bail ahead of another hearing on June 23.

A forensic team looks for clues at Pheobe Bishop’s Gin Gin home.Credit: Nine News Queensland

This masthead is not suggesting she was in any way linked to the disappearance.

The revelation came after reports emerged that multiple dogs were found dead by investigators at the Gin Gin home.

Initial reports from police suggested housemates dropped Bishop at Bundaberg airport the morning she went missing.

Police are now exploring whether that happened, with CCTV confirming she never entered the terminal.

Police are calling for any footage taken that morning at nearby Airport Drive and Samuels Road to come forward.

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