The search for a foreign tourist has ended with his body recovered from a remote waterfall on a popular but often ‘treacherous’ hiking trail.
Emergency services were called to Babinda Falls south of Cairns in far north Queensland on Sunday afternoon after reports a man had fallen into the water and failed to surface.
The tourist, 29, was walking with three friends at the time.
A major search was immediately launched involving multiple police officers, SES, Queensland Fire Service Swift Water Rescue crews and two helicopters.
The search was suspended on Sunday evening due to a light failure and resumed early on Monday morning.
Swift water rescue teams found the body of a man in the water around 11 a.m.
A formal identification will be carried out to confirm his identity and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
“There have been some injuries to the body and they will all be examined as part of the investigation,” Senior Sergeant Rob Campbell said on Monday.
Several emergency services were involved in the search for a missing hiker
The tourist’s body was recovered from the water at Babinda Falls on Monday morning
Located in Wooroonooran National Park, 65km south of Cairns, the 3km trail to Babinda Falls includes several creek crossings.
It is not an authorized walking path which can be ‘treacherous’ after heavy rain, prompting a warning to visitors.
“The rainfall has increased the water flow and because it is an untouched trail at this time of year there are a lot of things that contribute to it being a rugged area,” Sergeant Campbell said.
“This is quite treacherous terrain at this time of year because of the rain and water coming through.
‘It’s not an authorized trail, so it’s not well maintained, and it’s also rainforest, so all those things together can be a treacherous place to be at times.
‘It is used from time to time and we have had incidents similar to this in the past.
“We are very aware that people use this as a swimming hole and for recreation.”
The hiking trail to Babinda Falls (pictured Monday) can be ‘treacherous’ after heavy rain
Babinda Falls is a two-hour hike from the infamous Babinda Boulders, a famous rainforest rock pool that has killed 21 people, including three since 2020.
The undertow is described as a ‘washing machine’ that sucks swimmers under and makes it almost impossible for them to get to safety.
The region has seen heavy rainfall in recent days, including a downpour of 94mm on nearby Mount Bartle Frere on Saturday.
The latest incident comes after a 20-year-old died after jumping from the top of the Crystal Cascades waterfall near Cairns earlier this year.