Chopper needed in tricky retrieval
Tragic end to search as body found and believed to be Ebony King
A HELICOPTER was needed to retrieve a woman’s body, believed to be that of Ebony King, after it was found in recently-flooded dense bushland near Cooktown.
Acting assistant commissioner for Northern Region Brian Huxley said the area around Rossville was extremely difficult to traverse and work in.
“It actually took ... local knowledge to be able to lead the rescuers to this area,” he said.
Ms King, 34, was last seen wading through flood waters to return to her home about 6pm on December 27. Her friends raised the alarm the following day.
Rural fire brigade officers involved in the search found a woman’s body on Thursday about 3.30pm about 1km south east of Wallaby Creek bridge.
“The whole area had been inundated with water... once the flood waters receded the body was left exposed in the dense bushland,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Huxley said.
“It’s terrible for everybody involved. Certainly for the people involved in what they’d hoped was going to be a search and rescue and in the end becomes the terrible business of bringing the remains out to ultimately be handed back to the family. The terrain was so challenging it was necessary to use a helicopter to extract the body this morning and we are currently in the process of identifying that person.
“It was a very comprehensive search that has been undertaken by Cooktown police, water police, SES, QFES, rural fire brigade and at least a dozen members of the Rossville community.
Friends and family have paid tribute to the Rossville mother on social media.
“RIP Ebony King you beautiful angel, missing you forever,” one friend wrote.
Cooktown Shire Council chief executive Linda Cardew, speaking for Mayor Peter Scott, extended “deepest sympathies and condolences” to Ms King’s family.
“Ebony’s community is very tightly knit. I understand they are hurt by this tragedy and are feeling it very deeply,” Ms Cardew said.
A formal identification has not been established but the body is believed to be that of Ms King.
Police will prepare a report for the Coroner.
The police search was hampered by wet weather as a monsoon trough associated with Cyclone Penny flooded waterways.
“We have been struggling with record rainfall – it possibly caught a lot of people offguard,” Ms Cardew said.