The family of a young man who went missing on an tropical north Queensland island almost three weeks ago refuses to accept he may be dead and are furious at police who they claim are giving up on him.
Kaylene Bell, a family friend of missing Ben Chisholm, said his mother and sisters share a strong feeling the ‘deeply spiritual’ but bush-smart 22-year-old is alive somewhere on Magnetic Island.
They fear he may have fallen into a crevice and become trapped after breaking a bone.
Ben, who lives on the island, disappeared on July 13 and was last seen wandering towards trails leading to dense bushland.
The waters around the island are known to be home to saltwater crocodiles and Tiger sharks.
Ben Chisolm (pictured) was last seen wandering towards bush trails leading to dense bushland inland on Magnetic Island, QLD on July 13. The waters around the island are known to be home to saltwater crocodiles and Tiger sharks
Queenslander Ben Chisholm went missing on Magnetic Island on July 13 but his family (pictured are his sisters Shiralee and Ellouize) insist they can tell he is still alive
Police, the SES, Rural Fire Service and Parks and Wildlife teams are searching for Mr Chisholm, with his family fearing he may have fallen in the dense bushland
‘We all feel he is alive … not one of us feel he’s not still alive,’ Ms Bell, who is known to the family as ‘aunty’, told Daily Mail Australia.
‘He’s grown up in the bush his entire life, has been camping in and around the bush, he’s not stupid … he’s watched lots and lots of survival shows, knows how to leave landmarks, how to find food and water.
‘We all feel he’s probably stuck somewhere slid into a crevice, broken a bone and can’t get up.’
Ms Bell said his mum Jackie Burgess, from Victoria, and sister Shiralee Rosario, who lives next door to Ben on Magnetic Island, are anxious as they wait for news but are convinced he will be found.
Mr Chisholm’s family believe he is still alive despite him being missing for 17 days
Jackie Burgess (pictured front right) is remaining with her daughter Shiralee Rosario on Magnetic Island, in the hope that her son, Ben Chisholm, (kneeling, beside family and friends), will be found
She said Mr Chisholm had experienced mental health issues and his behaviour was out of character the day before he went missing, but maintained ‘he wouldn’t deliberately do this to his mum or sisters’.
Mr Chisholm was spoken to by police after neighbours complained when he randomly knocked on doors of residents in Nelly Bay on Magnetic Island.
Other than that, Ms Bell said, he showed ‘no signs of strangeness’.
Mr Chisholm’s family believe he may have slipped into a crevice on the island
Police are scaling back the search for Ben Chisholm but his family have refused to give up
‘Ben is a kind and happy person, a beautiful soul, very empathetic and spiritual. I’m sure he is speaking to the spirits, if he has the mind space he’ll be asking for help,’ she said.
The day after he went missing his hat and some clothes were found then several days later his jacket and shorts.
Ms Bell said the family had no explanation, but ruled out drugs playing a role – ‘he doesn’t get mixed up in that’.
She said Ben’s traumatised sister, Ms Rosario, was ‘angry and frustrated’ at Queensland police for how they are treating the family and handling the search.
‘I just spoke to Shiralee, she’s really angry and frustrated,’ Ms Bell said.
SES volunteers have spent up to 80 hours each searching for Ben Chisholm in the past 10 days
‘She had an officer ring her and say they’re scaling back the search even more. Then he hung up on her because he said she was talking over him.
‘But she was speaking over him in her frustrations of trying to be heard and get some answers.’
Ms Bell said the family is grateful for search efforts so far – which on July 20 and 21 totalled 80 people including police, the SES, Rural Fire Service, National Parks and Wildlife and even army cadets.
But the family believes Queensland police have prematurely reduced the size of the search effort given their belief that Ben is still alive.
‘Search efforts have been scaled back with minimal resources, with a focus on investigative outcomes as the search for Ben Chisholm continues on Magnetic Island,’ Acting Inspector Mark Camilleri told Daily Mail Australia.
On Friday Ms Bell said police flagged the prospect of ending the search.
She said the family is upset police are considering calling off the search.
They also accused police of refusing to allow volunteers into search areas because they hadn’t undergone specialised safety training.
‘We are being blocked from letting volunteers go anywhere. We’ve had specialist climbers ready to help but they’ve been turned away,’ Ms Bell said.
Ms Rosario has continuously posted social media updates thanking searchers and urged more people to join the search as official numbers have fallen.
Two days ago she posted: ‘We are still calling any SES Volunteers that can help come search for Ben. We have had some specialized high building/cliff climbing experts that have answered our plea.’
A voluntary searcher and local kayaker, Craig, who has been live-streaming videos of his hunt for Mr Chisholm on TikTok also believes it is possible Mr Chisholm is alive.
‘There is water, there is food, like Burdekin plums’ in the bush on Magnetic Island, he said.
‘There’s a lot of unanswered questions [but] I think we’re really close to it guys, so have faith, we’ll do this, we’ll bring him back home,’ Craig said in a video posted on Friday.
The mystery of what happened to Mr Chisholm has only deepened since he went missing 17 days ago.
Ms Bell said the family don’t share the new theory that Mr Chisholm may have left the island on on a yellow Polycraft tender boat that went missing around the same time he did.
‘The boat theory is being looked at but none of us feel it has anything to do with him,’ she said.
Daily Mail Australia approached Queensland police for comment.
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