A major air and ground search has been called off after a missing woman was found alive in remote bushland in far north Queensland today.
Key points:
- Juliana Castrillon disappeared while hiking in far north Queensland
- The Colombian national had been in the area to attend the Orin Aya Festival
- Police confirmed that he had been found alive
Colombian national Juliana Castrillon, 36, was last seen on an eight-hour hike on Saturday morning, south of Cooktown, south of Cape York.
Queensland Police confirmed she was found alive and SES volunteers were taking her to Home Rule, where she will undergo a medical assessment.
Earlier, police said he had attended the Orin Aya festival at the Home Rule camp before embarking on the walk from Cedar Bay.
Inspector David Perry said Ms Castrillon had no supplies with her, only shorts and a T-shirt, and may have been trying to walk from Cedar Bay to Home Rule – an eight-hour trek through thick rainforest and several stream crossings, popular with walkers.
“It’s a 14km walk that our national parks class as strenuous, with extremely difficult terrain once you get off the hiking trail,” he said.
Ms. Castrillon attended the Orin Aya festival the week before she disappeared. (Provided by: Shyan Budd)
Inspector David Perry said Ms Castrillon, who owned a business in Byron Bay, was reported missing by friends and family on Sunday afternoon.
He said an aerial search of the area was conducted on Monday and Tuesday, but efforts had been hampered by poor visibility due to dense terrain.
Ms Castrillon’s sister Lina arrived in Cooktown this morning as friends of the missing woman took to social media to spread the word about her disappearance.
The Orin Aya Festival bills the event as “four days of art, music and culture” with dance, fire twirling and music.