As the search for 47-year-old Esther Wallace in NSW bushland enters its 11th day, police have revealed they are not ruling out the worst-case scenario.
Ms Wallace disappeared after becoming separated from her while bushwalking at Federal Falls in the Mount Canobolas State Recreation area of NSW – approximately 20km southwest of Orange.
Police and the SES have spent days and nights since scouring the extensive, rugged search where she vanished on the morning of November 30.
Ms Wallace was hiking with her partner, who police say has been fully cooperative and is not being treated as a person of interest.
In a startling revelation earlier this week her 24-year-old son, Tyrone Stewart told the Central Western Daily that the sunrise mountaintop hike, on which she went missing, was out of character.
“When I saw the report that they went to see the sunrise … my mum doesn’t go to watch the sunrise,” she doesn’t go bushwalking, especially in sandals,” he told the publication.
“Usually, by now, she would contact.”
Mr Stewart was not convinced she was where police were searching.
“I don’t reckon she’s at Mount Canobolas at all,” he said.
“She doesn’t go bushwalking at all.
“She’ll go camping and fishing, but she ain’t out there bushwalking watching the sunrise. That’s not my mum.
“If she was alive, her mates would be showing her these articles. It’s all over Facebook, it was on the news, and she would contact to say she was safe.”
Mr Stewart has also taken to social media in recent days to share his concerns for his mother.
“Mum, I hope you’re safe. Just contact any of us friends or family. We just want to know you’re OK. We all are very worried. Love you always,” he wrote.
Earlier this week, Acting Superintendent Gerard Lawson said police had found clothing and other items on the mountain but could not confirm a connection to Ms Wallace.
“We have been able to find a piece of clothing of interest, but we can’t confirm at this stage whether it is her clothing. Certainly, we are having it tested at the moment,” he said.
“It is only speculation at the moment as to whether they’re relevant.
“Some of those items have probably been there for several days or weeks and may not be connected to our search.”
On Friday, he revealed that given the time Ms Wallace has been missing, she might be dead.
“Sadly, the tragic reality is that day by day, the chances of finding her alive are diminishing,” he told media.
“There’s a possibility she’s made her own way out and has chosen not to come forward.
“She has the right to be anonymous … but we’d like her to come forward so we can stop spending all these resources and time trying to find her.”
“We have an open mind to all possibilities, but we certainly don’t believe at this stage that it looks like a homicide.”
