Final air sweep in search for elder

A FINAL air search will be carried out in Cooktown today as authorities scale-back efforts to find missing Hope Vale man Stanley Charlie.

The 65-year-old was last seen swimming towards mangroves in the Endeavour River at 11pm on May 20.

Despite an extensive search involving local police, Special Emergency Service crews and chartered aircraft, Mr Charlie’s whereabouts remains unknown.

Police believe the Aboriginal elder may have drowned but say a crocodile attack was also a possible reason for his disappearance.

Although the river is a known crocodile habitat, wildlife experts from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection involved in the search have found no evidence Mr Charlie was taken by one of the predators inhabiting the area.

Senior Sergeant Carl Bishop, who has been leading the search, said water police and coast guard vessels would continue their patrols of the local waterways.

“He’s been missing since the morning of May 21, so the time frame has made the searching difficult,” he said.

“There’s no evidence to suggest an animal was involved.”

He said drowning was the most likely cause of Mr Charlie’s disappearance.

“That’s what we think may have occurred,” he said.

Mr Charlie’s brother, Gordon Charlie, suggested foul play was behind his disappearance, but this has been ruled out by police.

Stanley Charlie, who had lived most of his life in Hope Vale, had travelled to Cooktown the day he disappeared to visit his wife, who was ill in hospital.

She has since passed away, leaving their family devastated and the Hope Vale community in mourning at the loss of the well-known couple.