Husband of missing mum breaks silence
An intensive search of bushland has failed to find a mother of three who has been missing for three days after going for a run.
Victoria Police have appealed for public assistance to help find Ballarat East woman Samantha Murphy.
The 51-year-old was last seen leaving her property on Eureka St to go for a run in Canadian State Forest about 7am on Sunday, where temperatures hit the high 30s during the day.
Ms Murphy’s husband told the Herald Sun his wife runs in the area daily.
“It’s just up in the air, we don’t know,” Mr Murphy said.
“It’s just a whole time thing at the end of the day.”
A major search operation has been under way for three days, involving local police who are being supported by officers from the Dog Squad, Mounted Branch, Solo Unit and Air Wing.
State Emergency Service, Forest Fire Management Victoria and Parks Victoria personnel are also involved in the search.
Locals have raised concerns that the bushland is not only very dense, but has mineshafts in it.
“That’s the biggest concern, that there are mineshafts out there that aren’t very noticeable in some areas,” volunteer Donne Crouch told Nine,
Police and family have concerns for her welfare due to the hot weather on Sunday and her disappearance being out of character,” Acting Inspector Lisa McDougall said on Monday.
“Obviously, yesterday was a hot day … there (is) obviously increased risk there because of the heat.
“It raises the urgency of the search for us and obviously we account for the fact that will have an impact on someone’s health.”
Police and the SES searched the state forest area behind the Buninyong Golf Club on Monday.
The search continued on Tuesday morning for the missing mother.
Inspector McDougall said Ms Murphy usually went for a run every day and was very familiar with the Canadian State Forest and surrounding areas.
“The area of search isn’t completely remote, we are on the outskirts of Ballarat, and it’s not that far from urban areas as well,” MacDougall said.
Inspector MacDougall said data received from Ms Murphy’s phone, which she had been carrying at the time, pinged near the golf course.
Ms Murphy is described as caucasian, about 173cm tall with a slim build and shoulder-length blonde hair.
She was last seen wearing black half-length leggings and a maroon/brown coloured singlet.
Anyone who sights Ms Murphy is urged to contact Ballarat East Police Station on (03) 5336 6000.
