Man missing in freezing bushland for six days is found dead just hours after his dog emerged from the ordeal alive and well
- A missing man has been found dead in Victoria’s alpine region on Thursday
- Police were searching for Jeremy Boyden and his dog for the past six days
- Mr Boyden’s dog Jack Russell terrier, Rocky, has been found alive and healthy
A man missing in Victoria’s alpine region has been found dead, ending a days-long search effort which found his dog alive.
Jeremy Boyden’s body was found on Thursday at about 8am near Upper Dargo Road at Dargo, not far from where he was last seen on Friday.
His death is not being treated as suspicious, police said.
Scores of police and SES crews and volunteers had been searching for the 23-year-old since his disappearance.
Jeremy Boyden’s body was found on Thursday at about 8am near Upper Dargo Road at Dargo, not far from where he was last seen on Friday
News of the death comes after Mr Boyden’s Jack Russell terrier, Rocky, was found alive on Wednesday afternoon.
The dog had been with his owner when he disappeared.
More than 60 rescuers searched 15 square kilometres of the steep and rocky area for him since Monday.
About 10 of the 23-year-old’s friends – one of whom described him as ‘the life of the party’ – were also involved in the search.
The rescue team had rated the difficulty of the terrain as a ‘nine out of ten’.
On Thursday morning, he walked to the General Store and bought some diesel and greeted the owners who said ‘he didn’t seem distressed or anything’
Business owners Kerrie and Pete Leemon told the Herald Sun his car had broken down on last Wednesday and he spent the night in front of the town hall.
On Thursday morning, he walked to the general store and bought some diesel and greeted the owners who said ‘he didn’t seem distressed or anything’.
He drove back to the store after filling up his ute with petrol.
‘Looking back now, we probably should have asked him a few more questions,’ Mr Leemon said.
Mr Boyden told the pair he had plans to drive back home to Ferntree Gully in eastern Melbourne and departed around 11am on Thursday.
The rescue team rated the difficulty of the terrain as a ‘nine out of ten’ during their search for Mr Boyden
He was travelling towards Dargo with his father when he grabbed his dog and ran away into the bush on a remote road north of the Wongungarra area.
The reason for My Boyden’s sudden separation from his father is unclear.