Samantha Murphy: Grim warning issued as volunteer search continues

• Ms Murphy has been missing since Feb 4 
• Mayor warned of rough terrain for volunteers searching

Good Samaritans wanting to join the search for missing mother-of-three Samantha Murphy have been warned to take care due to treacherous terrain.

Volunteers have taken it upon themselves to coordinate searches in the Woowookarung Regional Park, northwest of Melbourne, since the official search for Ms Murphy was scaled back on Saturday.

The 51-year-old hasn’t been seen since the morning of February 4, when she vanished while going for a run through the state forest.

Ballarat Mayor Des Hudson said while it was encouraging to see that locals were keen to help with the search, there were many risks in the rugged bushland.

‘It’s important they heed advice posted on the Buninyong Police Station front door which identifies areas of interest to search and strategies to keep safe,’ he told Sky News.

‘The last thing we want and emergency services need is to direct resources to someone who has been lost.’

Volunteers have been urged to search in pairs and ensure they have adequate food and water with them.

Organisers have also been writing down the names and numbers of those helping with the search.

Locals had earlier raised concerns of mineshafts around the state forest that aren’t easily spotted.

‘Ballarat is a town that was built on gold, lots of gold mines are out there – and people have to be mindful of that when they are searching,’ Mayor Hudson added.

There were 28 people helping with the search on Sunday, according to a Facebook group set up to assist in Ms Murphy’s disappearance, which has now been shut down.

The warnings come after professional tracker Jake Cassar told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Murphy could survive in the bush for weeks provided she has access to water.

‘She could absolutely be alive if she found her way to water,’ he said.

‘You can go about three days without water and about a month without food, but people have survived for months in the past.’

Ms Murphy vanished without a trace after going on a 20km run through the national park

He said police usually call off ground searches between five and nine days due to a lack of funding and resources

Mr Cassar urged authorities to call on bush trackers to help, and said he would be willing to stage his own search.

‘It’s not a good way to go, being left in the elements,’ he said.

‘The SES do a great job, as do police, but volunteers need to get back to their families and their jobs.’

The official police search for Ms Murphy has now been handed over to the Missing Persons Squad and a full scale search will only resume if fresh information emerges.

Timeline of Samantha Murphy’s disappearance 

Sunday February 4, 7am: Mum-of-three Samantha Murphy is last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East heading off on a run

7.16am: She is captured on a neighbour’s CCTV wearing a brown singlet and black half-length leggings

11am: Ms Murphy fails to show up at a planned brunch with family. She is reported to police as missing

Monday February 5: Victoria Police launch a public appeal to find Ms Murphy.  A search area is established just outside the suburb of Buninyong, about 14km from where Ms Murphy was last seen, as well as near her home. Police reveal Ms Murphy’s mobile phone had pinged in Buninyong

Tuesday February 6: Ms Murphy’s Mick husband tells media that he’s ‘not too bad under the circumstances’.  More than 100 specialised police officers, SES crews and teams from Forest Fire Management Australia and Parks Victoria join the search

Wednesday February 8, 12.30pm:  A search party finds possible evidence near a walking trail in Woowookarung Regional Park

Police later release what they initially thought was CCTV of Ms Murphy leaving her property and heading off in a north-easterly direction toward Yankee Flat Road near the intersection of Warrenheip Road

Thursday afternoon February 8: A runner comes forward to reveal they are the person seen in the CCTV footage, ruling out a key line of inquiry

Friday February 9: Victoria Police ramp up efforts with the arrival of officers from the missing persons unit

Saturday February 10: Investigators wind back the search and say that a full scale search will only resume if fresh information emerges

Sunday February 11: As police downgrade the search, locals continue their own search by scouring the area in small groups.

Monday February 12: Cin Hobbs, administrator of ‘Find Samantha Murphy’ Facebook group-  which garnered thousands of members within days announces she is removing the group as it ‘has served its purpose’

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