Mossman Gorge human bones may be those of Melbourne dental assistant who went missing eight months ago
The human bones from Mossman Gorge may be those of the Melbourne dental assistant who went missing eight months ago
- Bones found in Mossman Gorge, Queensland
- DNA test to see if they belong to Melbourne woman Vinh Chuong
- Ms. Chuong, 54, was swept away by water in January
Human remains have been found in a swimming hole in far north Queensland, and police fear they may belong to a dental assistant who went missing eight months ago.
Vinh Chuong, who lived in Melbourne, has now been identified as the woman who was reported missing after she was swept away by rushing water in the Mossman River on January 6.
A search and rescue operation was launched after the 54-year-old was taken downriver and disappeared underwater in bad weather.
Police divers and the SES searched for six days before the investigation was scaled back and became a recovery mission, as Ms. Chuong was believed to have drowned.
Eight months later, a tourist made a grim discovery after finding a human shinbone in the riverbed at Mossman Gorge, 12 miles north of Port Douglas, on August 22.
Police divers and the SES searched for 54-year-old Vinh Chuong after she went missing from the Mossman River in January (pictured)
Police searched the waters after human remains were found eight months after Ms. Chuong went missing (pictured). Forensics will determine if the bones belong to the missing tourist
Divers conducted another search of the area from August 28 to 29 and found more bones.
Police are waiting for forensics to confirm whether the bones belong to Ms. Chuong.
Mossman police officer in charge, Sergeant Matthew Smith, said the discovery was not surprising, but added that a new investigation would be launched if the bones did not belong to Ms Chuong.
“We are hopeful that this may lead to some closure of her family, but at this stage we need to do quite a bit of forensic DNA testing to confirm that,” Sergeant Smith said.
“We kind of expected this, because she was underwater and trapped under a rock,” he told the newspaper Cairns Post. “If it isn’t her, a can of worms will open.”
Ms. Chuong is said to be the first person to die in Mossman Gorge since 2014.
Mossman Gorge is a river in Daintree National Park, northern Queensland, and is a popular swimming spot among locals and tourists (pictured)
A coronal inquest on February 15, 2014, investigated the circumstances surrounding the death of Taiwanese tourist Che-Wei Su.
The 28-year-old, who was a strong swimmer and had military training, was visiting the canyon with his girlfriend and three friends when strong currents swept him downstream and hit his head on boulders.
The inquest recommended a comprehensive assessment to investigate safety concerns at the popular swimming spot.
Mossman Gorge, in the Daintree National Park, remains open to the public.