Frantic search for missing 84-year-old grandmother
A desperate search is underway to find a missing grandmother lost in bushland in WA’s Great Southern region.
Perth woman Patricia Byrne, 84, vanished near Mount Trio in Stirling Range National Park about midday on Thursday.
She had been helping her son with maintenance on his farm at Mount Trio Bush and Caravan Park.
The 84-year-old is healthy and knows the area. Her family don’t understand why she’s not home yet.
The family have searched for her but to no avail and now police are involved.
Great Southern Police Inspector Geoff Dickson said “it’s out of character” for the grandmother to have “just suddenly dropped off the radar”.
“It doesn’t matter what age you are,” he said.
“At 84 it’s going to be a bit of an issue if she hasn’t got to some shelter or water.”
He added the family “are rocked” by her disappearance.
Another major concern is the weather. On Thursday, when she disappeared it was 26C.
It dropped down to 11C overnight but on Friday it was 37C.
It’s been more than 30 hours since she’s been seen but police plan to continue their search on Saturday.
Police divers are being sent from Perth and they will start looking in dams.
The search zone is also likely be expanded into the Stirling Range National Park, which backs on to the property.
