Second member of missing Northern Territory trio found alive
A second member of a trio who went missing during a drive in the Northern Territory outback two weeks ago has been found alive.
A pastoralist found Phu Tran in the Palmer Valley on Tuesday morning, two weeks after he and his companions Tamra McBeath-Riley and Claire Hockridge were last seen.
He managed to survive after finding water and is being taken to hospital where he'll be treated for exposure.
Ms McBeath-Riley was rescued on Sunday after she was able to find water in the outback south of Alice Springs. Police say Mr Tran also found water. Ms Hockridge remains missing.
Claire Hockridge, 46, remains missing as the search continues a fortnight after the group told family and friends they were going for a drive out of Alice Springs.
On November 19, the three told friends and family they were going for a driver, however they failed to return that night.
After nearly two weeks, Ms McBeath-Riley was found on Sunday after police discovered the trio's vehicle which had become bogged in a river bed.
She was taken to hospital and was treated for dehydration and exposure. Temperatures were sitting well above 40C the last week .
Ms McBeath-Riley and her partner, Claire Hockridge, are locals of Alice Springs while Phu Tran lives in Adelaide.
The vehicle was found during an air search. A station worker informed police of tyre tracks in an area which was not part of the initial search.
The three left a note on the car, saying the trio had split up to find help, Ms McBeath-Riley had gone north and Ms Hockridge and Mr Tran had gone west. The note was dated November 21.
Superintendent Pauline Vicary told the ABC Ms McBeath-Riley had travelled about 1.5 kilometres from the vehicle and was in an area where there was water.
“She appears to have stayed where the water is and has been drinking that and that's probably what's kept her going until we've been able to locate her," Superintendent Vicary said.
“We tried many times to try and get out, but just couldn't get out, so ventured forth to try and find some shelter and some water," Ms McBeath-Riley said of when the three remained by the car.
"During the day it's just really hot so we dug ourselves under the car during the day into the sand."
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
