A police search for a missing Alzheimer’s patient has turned up a walking stick with her name on it, and what appears to be human remains.
Police hold grave fears that Anne Cameron, 79, may have been eaten by a large saltwater crocodile after she went missing an infested creek.
Ms Cameron was last seen before she left her OzCare aged care facility in Port Douglas, north Queensland, to take a walk on Tuesday afternoon.
A police search for missing Alzheimer’s patient Anne Cameron (pictured) has turned up a walking stick with her name on it, and what appears to be human remains
Ms Cameron was last seen before she left her OzCare aged care facility (pictured) in Port Douglas, north Queensland, to take a walk on Tuesday afternoon
The 79-year-old has Alzheimer’s disease and police fear she may have become disorientated and wandered into dense mangroves, Nine News reported.
Acting Inspector Ed Lukin said: ‘We located a number of items, including clothing that we believe belong to the missing person, we also located a walking stick with her name on it.’
‘We located some biological matter which we believe to be human remains. Those are being tested in Cairns,’ he said.
‘We believe she’s wandered in there [a crocodile infested area] and gotten lost, it’s our theory that she’s become disorientated and walked through that area.’
The forensic tests may be completed by late Thursday or Friday morning, and police and SES are continuing to search for the missing woman, ABC News reported.
State Emergency Service area controller Sean McGuinness said the search was challenging.
Police hold grave fears that Anne Cameron, 79, may have been eaten by a large saltwater crocodile after she went missing an infested creek (pictured, stock image)
‘The search area is relatively flat, however the environment with the mangroves and the swamp area, it is quite hard to get through that area,’ he said.
‘The teams are persevering, they understand what we need to try and achieve and basically try and assist police to get some information about the situation.’
Police confirmed they found a pile of clothing next to a small creek connected to Mowbray River, believed to be less than two kilometres from the aged care facility.
Three enormous saltwater crocodiles are said to live in Mowbray River, according to the Cairns Post.
Police and SES have been searching for Ms Cameron for the last two days.
Anne’s son Craig Eggins said his mother was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, took regular short walks and would ask for assistance if she got lost.
State Emergency Service area controller Sean McGuinness said the search (pictured) was challenging
‘She’s very mobile and could have walked a fair distance,’ he wrote on Facebook.
She has a medical condition that requires her to take daily medication, which she has been without for the past 48 hours, police said.
Mr Eggins wrote there were no family feuds and Anne loved the staff at her aged care facility.
‘We as a family are very concerned about her and are actively searching with the search parties,’ he wrote.
Anne’s granddaughter Isabella Higgins said her grandmother was new to the area, having recently moved in to the aged care facility.
OzCare facility manager Daniel Robinson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with Anne’s family and we hope for her safe return.’
Police confirmed they found a pile of clothing next to a small creek connected to Mowbray River (pictured), believed to be less than two kilometres from the aged care facility