The search for missing Australian teenager Pheobe Bishop has taken an ominous turn after cadaver dogs were used at a beauty spot.
Queensland Police deployed the canines on Sunday in Good Night Scrub National Park, just outside the rural town of Gin Gin in the Bundaberg region.
The bush retreat lies an hour away from where the 17-year-old — whose disappearance has gripped Australia — went missing 11 days ago.
A large search was taking place as her mum issued an emotional appeal for the return of her ‘sassy’ and ‘feisty’ daughter who ‘loves harder than anyone I’ve ever met’.
In her last known movements, Pheobe left a home in Bundaberg where she had been living with Tanika Bromley and James Wood.
The couple is believed by detectives to have driven her 40 minutes to Bundaberg Airport, where she was supposed to board an 8.30am flight to Brisbane and then onto Perth, where she planned to meet up with her boyfriend.
Although Pheobe was last seen carrying luggage at Airport Drive on May 15, she did not check in
The pair have been questioned by police and were released.
No charges have been laid over Pheobe’s disappearance and Metro does not suggest Mr Wood and Ms Bromley were involved.
Final posts she made on social media before she disappeared suggested she had fallen out with her mum and would not return home.
The update in the search comes after CCTV footage emerged of a vehicle that appeared to be similar to the one at the centre of the police investigation into Pheobe’s disappearance.
She had been travelling in a silver Hyundai ix35 – which is owned by Ms Bromley – before she disappeared.
CCTV showed a Hyundai ix35 driving through the backstreets of Gin Gin at 10.30am on May 15 – two hours after Pheobe was allegedly dropped off at the airport, the Courier Mail reports.
In another update, Police announced on Friday night that they had discovered an item of potential interest in the national park.
Detective Acting Inspector Ryan Thompson said: ‘Police have subsequently been conducting some searches of the Good Night Scrub National Park in the hopes of finding some evidence in relation to her disappearance.
‘There are no specific persons of interest, however, police are following up all avenues of enquiry.’
Police did not say if the recovered item was connected to Pheobe.
A thorough land, water and aerial search of the national park was launched on Saturday by police. Specialist teams, including the Dive Squad, have been involved in the land and waterway searches.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
Insp Thompson said: ‘Police are trying to nail down the timeline to where this vehicle has gone. We do have associates that are assisting police with our inquiries at the moment, and this is why we’re trying to narrow down that timeline in relation to where Pheobe could be.’
Pheobe’s mum Kylie Johnson released a statement through police in which she described her daughter as ‘feisty’ and ‘the sunflower in a field full of wildflowers.’
She said: ‘Who is Pheobe? Phee has always been strong willed and followed her own beat to life.
‘I’ve always called her my “Wild Gypsy Banshee”. I’ve told everyone since Phee’s birth that she’s the one I always expected to call me from overseas saying, ‘hey Mumzie mate; I’m in Amsterdam and checking in’.
‘You can’t tame Phee’s spirit, empathy or fight for life. She is sassy, feisty and loves harder than anyone I’ve ever met.
‘Phee loves beyond comprehension and is loyal to her siblings.
‘Phee just loved life; music blaring, she’d say, “come on Mumzie, let’s dance.”
‘Hanging with her “boys” even though they all saw her as the little sister to protect.
‘Her friends always knew they would get the truth (and then some if she had an opinion).
‘Phee is the sunflower in a field full of wildflowers.
‘She is an essential part of our lives and we need her home. We need to hear her music, feel her hugs and hear her voice.
‘Pheobe would never not touch base with the people she loves. She would never go this long without contacting someone or anyone.
‘We are appealing to anyone who may have heard from Pheobe, or anyone who has information about where she may be, to please contact police.’
In a further update today, Ms Johnson wrote: ‘I’m praying that the lights of Gin Gin and the world guide you back to me, guide you back to us, guide you back to your siblings and our family.
‘Our lives and existence are nothing without you in our lives.’
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.