The brother of Queensland woman Julie Schutt is pleading for anyone with information on her whereabouts to come forward, four days after she went missing.
Key points:
- Julie Schutt was last seen in Streaky Bay in SA on Sunday
- Her brother is pleading for anyone with clues to her whereabouts to come forward
- Police and emergency services are continuing to search the area
Ms Schutt was last seen on Sunday in Streaky Bay on South Australia’s western Eyre Peninsula, and police today released footage of her on Bay Road at 4:29pm.
The 48-year-old had travelled to Streaky Bay with her husband Clifford, and the couple had been looking forward to what Ms Schutt’s brother Todd described as “the holiday of the year”.
He said it was the first time Julie and her husband had visited South Australia.
“I’m trying to keep my spirits and up and trying be hopeful that she’s safe and sound but hopefully someone can give us a clue,” Todd said.
He described Ms Schutt as “very outgoing and very loveable”.
“She’s got heaps of friends and family that love her,” he said.
“Please — we all love you and we want you to come back safe and sound.”
The family is hopeful that Julie has stayed in the area, but her brother said some family members were “so far away [and] we’re their main contact”.
“They’re constantly trying to get updated, it’s a pity we can’t give them better news,” Todd said.
Police said neither Ms Schutt nor her husband were familiar with the local area.
On Thursday afternoon, police confirmed the search had been scaled back, but would continue “over the following days using local police and volunteers”.
“After consultation with the family, the resources dedicated to the search around Streaky Bay has been reduced,” SA Police said in a statement.
“Police will continue to investigate the matter as an ongoing missing person case.
“Police cannot rule out that Julie may have received a ride to nearby towns and ask anyone in communities across the Eyre Peninsula who may have seen anyone matching the description … to contact the police assistance line (131 444).”
Ms Schutt’s brother said her husband Clifford is naturally feeling very emotional but is doing the best he can.
“He went for a little drive around that coastline to see the area, she must have just gone for a walk while he was out,” Todd said.
“I don’t know why this would happen.”
Police doorknock homes and farmsteads
Superintendent Paul Bahr asked people in the area, or who had recently travelled through it, “to look at their CCTV footage or dash cam footage”.
“We’ve had a number of phone calls with people with possible sightings — we’re chasing each one of those up, so that’s an ongoing piece of work too,” he said.
“If anything solid comes out of that then we will change our focus.
“The family has been fantastic, clearly they’re quite worried as you suspect they would be, they have been incredibly helpful and doing what they can to assist.”
Superintendent Bahr said the search involving its mounted police, STAR Group and a police helicopter, as well as the State Emergency Service and Country Fire Service, was ongoing.
“We continue our doorknocks, going to homes and farmsteads on the southern end of Streaky Bay as well,” he said.
“If she has managed to get a lift with someone, she may have turned up to Elliston in the south, Ceduna in the west or Poochera in the north.
“I think it’s great people are contacting us, it shows people are interested, people do care.”