Ballarat East disappearance: Samantha Murphy still missing after heading off on run through Canadian State Forest
Desperate searches are underway for a mother-of-three who disappeared without a trace after running 12 miles during a heatwave.
Samantha Murphy, 51, was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East, about 100km northwest of Melbourne, at 7am on Sunday.
It is understood she planned to run through the Canadian State Forest and was captured on CCTV wearing a brown shirt and black mid-length leggings.
The mother of three has now been missing for almost 36 hours
Her ‘appalled and concerned’ family have serious concerns and describe her disappearance as characterless.
Pictured: Samantha Murphy, 51, was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East, about 100 kilometers northwest of Melbourne, at 7am on Sunday.
A search area has been established just outside the suburb of Buninyong, about 14 kilometers from where Ms Murphy was last seen and close to her home.
Acting Inspector Lisa MacDougall said Murphy’s mobile phone had pinged in Buninyong but “investigations are ongoing to see if (the phone) is still on”.
βIt’s clear that phone batteries can run out, but that’s part of the investigation,β she told reporters on Monday.
Murphy was known to go running almost every day and is very familiar with the forest and surrounding urban areas.
“The search area is not completely remote, we are on the outskirts of Ballarat, and it’s not that far from urban areas either,” Insp MacDougall said.
The scorching temperatures in Victoria on Sunday are also causing concern for police.
It is not known whether Ms Murphy had food and water with her.
“Yesterday was clearly a hot day… there is clearly an increased risk because of the heat,” Insp MacDougall added.
‘For us it increases the urgency of the search and of course we take into account that this has an impact on someone’s health.’
Police and the SES will search the national forest area behind Buninyong Golf Club until nightfall on Monday
The mother of three was last seen wearing a brown shirt and black mid-length leggings
The police will then assess the risks of continuing the search.
Samantha is described as white, approximately 173cm tall, with a slim build and shoulder-length blond hair.
Anyone who sees the 51-year-old is asked to contact police immediately.