The mother of a woman missing in Kakadu National Park for almost a week is holding out hope her daughter will be found safe.
Key points:
- NT Police and Kakadu rangers are searching for Jessica Louise Stephens
- She was discharged from Royal Darwin Hospital more than a week before she was reported missing
- Her mother says there are “many potential scenarios” which could have occurred
A land and air search is continuing for 35-year-old Jessica Louise Stephens, who police say travelled to Kakadu on Thursday, October 19.
NT Police believe she camped at Nourlangie Rock and have found her car in the nearby car park.
Ms Stephens has not contacted her family since October 16, and was reported missing by her mother Karon Evans on October 18.
Ms Evans told the ABC her daughter had been receiving mental health treatment at Royal Darwin Hospital, after travelling to the Northern Territory from her home in the Whitsundays, Queensland.
“Jessie has a real affinity and connection for Aboriginal culture and land, so the [Nourlangie] Rock is somewhere where she did want to go … before she got sick,” Ms Evans said.
“I believe she was released [from RDH] on October 11 or 12.
“I know she wasn’t very well when they discharged her, but they deemed her well enough to be discharged.
“She’s obviously just decided to go on to where she was going but we haven’t … heard from her since.”
Ms Evans said she had concerns over the follow-up care from NT Health after Ms Stephens was discharged from RDH.
NT Health has been contacted for comment.
Ms Evans said “there were many potential scenarios” which could have occurred.
“[They] all need to be pieced together to get a picture of what’s going on,” she said.
“It could be that she was feeling better, and well, and went out there to connect with country. She does find that a safe space.
“There’s no reception out in that area — I guess that’s the reason why we’ve been holding out hope, is because she has been in an area where there’s no reception, so she couldn’t contact us.
“Even if she did want to contact us, she wouldn’t have been able to, but the car hasn’t moved from the car park for four days, which is why it came to the rangers’ attention and police’s attention.”
Police have found items belonging to Ms Stephens along the track to Nourlangie Rock, her mother said.
“You hope that there hasn’t been foul play,” Ms Evans said.