A desperate Australian mum has refused to leave the tropical island her son went missing on more than two weeks ago after he was behaving erratically.
Jackie Burgess is remaining with her daughter Shiralee Rosario on Magnetic Island, in the hope that her son, Ben Chisholm, 22, will be found, even as police scaled back their search.
He went missing in rugged bushland on the famous holiday island, offshore from Townsville, north Queensland, on the morning of July 13.
His family described his disappearance as ‘out of character’ saying he’d never wander off for so long.
But as his terrified mum and sister refuse to give up, it’s been revealed Mr Chisholm was picked up by police the night before he vanished.
Young Queenslander Ben Chisholm wandered into ‘extremely dense scrub’ 15 days ago on Magnetic Island after behaving erratically the night before his disappearance
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
Mr Chisholm was last seen walking toward the trails inland from the Arcadia area of Magnetic Island (pictured, steep cliffs near Picnic Point, Magnetic Island)
SES volunteers have spent up to 80 hours each searching for Ben Chisholm in the past 10 days
‘We will not give up hope, mum is not leaving the island, she needs you to be found and brought home. We all need you to come home, Ms Rosario posted on Tuesday.
‘We will not give up on finding you Ben!’
Ms Rosario and Mr Chisholm both live on Magnetic Island and their mum is from Melbourne.
Mr Chisholm was last seen walking toward the trails inland from the Arcadia area of Magnetic Island.
Ms Rosario has admitted her brother was displaying ‘unstable’ behaviour the night before he went missing.
Shiralee Rosario is pictured with her brother Ben Chisholm, who is missing on Magnetic Island
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
She said residents in Picnic Bay phoned police because he was ‘door knocking on a random house’, the Townsville Bulletin reported.
Officers ‘didn’t pick up’ on his bad mental state and dropped him off at home. He went missing the next morning, last being seen wandering towards trails.
‘We’ll progress it as we go through, and if there are lessons to be learned, well, there are lessons to be learned,’ Queensland Police Service Acting Inspector Mark Camilleri said when questioned about Ms Rosario’s claims.
In a Magnetic Island community Facebook page several community members wondered if Mr Chisholm had left the island before being reported missing.
But several clues found ended that possibility.
Clothing, including a dark green jacket/pullover and shorts, and a hat belonging to Mr Chisholm, were found over the next eight days.
His desperate family fear he ‘may have slipped and not be able to get up’.
Police officers, the dog squad and SES search teams scoured bushland, including the Nelly-Arcadia bush track on foot, by QGAir Rescue 521 helicopter and with drone cameras.
The Rural Fire Service and Parks and Wildlife teams are also assisting police with search efforts.
But when acting inspector Camilleri admitted the search was now being ‘scaled back’, Ms Rosario pleaded for more volunteers to join the search effort.
‘SOS we are putting a call out to any trained personnel who are available to assist in specialized searches like cliff faces and boulders with crevices and caves.
‘[We’ve had] no helicopter since Thursday the sniffer dog was in for one day, the best trackers have not been able to find any sign of him no broken twigs no hair, no blood, now they have left also.
‘There is no sign of any foul play.’
Police are scaling back the search for Ben Chisholm but his family have refused to give up
Mr Chisholm’s sister Shiralee claimed officers ‘didn’t pick up’ on his bad mental state and dropped him off at home (pictured, Acting Inspector Mark Camilleri)
‘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,’ Insp. Camilleri said.
‘Police and family hold concerns for his welfare given the duration of his disappearance.’
Ms Rosario has been desperately calling for volunteers to come and help on the island.
‘We need way more resources on the ground. Thursday, Friday last week we had 80 on ground and air for 2 days. Then 30, then 8, now today 11 people,’ she said.
Magnetic Island SES volunteers detailed how committed they have been to the search on social media.
‘Two of our Maggie Island SES members are approaching 80 hours EACH on this search since last Saturday. 80 volunteer hours in 10 days,’ the service posted.
‘We are so proud of our whole team and our SES family from across the ditch who have put in above and beyond!’
Ben Chishom’s family have posted a GoFundMe account to help pay for costs they are incurring during the search.
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