Friends call for inquest
Answers sought after hiker’s body found
FRIENDS of a dead hiker recovered from Jourama Falls yesterday have called for a coronial inquest into the delayed search.
Former Cairns resident Shane Holian, 60, went missing in the Paluma Range National Park – he was presumed missing on December 3 but the search did not begin until six days later.
Stratis Rozakeas, 25, a friend of Mr Holian said there was “no doubt” that the man recovered from the falls was Mr Holian.
“It is 100 per cent that it was Shane – at least this gives us closure,” he said.
He has called for a coronial inquest into the conduct of park rangers that lived 50m from where Mr Holian’s van sat unattended for six days.
“If ranger procedures were detrimental to a prompt search and rescue mission, then this should be investigated,” Mr Rozakeas said.
“If the ranger raised the alarm by Monday evening, then search and rescue could have started within 24 hours.
“I would want to see their daily log – what exactly were they doing for six days?”
He said Mr Holian was found downstream of Jourama Falls.
“He sent a couple of selfies from the falls – that was at 9.20am on December 2,” Mr Rozakeas said. “I imagine he slipped and fell; the rain would have swept him downstream. That’s the logical conclusion.”
He praised the efforts of police and SES volunteers who searched for Mr Holian.
“All their efforts were amazing – helicopters, drones, specialist teams and ground crew were impeccable,” Mr Rozakeas said.
A Queensland Police spokesman said a man’s body was found at 10.30am yesterday within the national park.
“A report will be prepared for the Coroner,” he said.