Two infant girls, who went missing on Saturday near Orange, have been found. The missing girls, both 7-year-olds, went camping with parents in central western NSW.
The confirmation comes from the State Emergency Service that the girls have been found to be safe. NSW Police have also confirmed the successful search. POLAIR brought the girls to safety at around 11:30 on July 31.
They have been taken to Orange Hospital to perform medical checks
The girls were missing for about 20 hours as they were last seen at Ophir Reserve in Ophir. It was around 4 pm when they were seen on the other side of a creek.
Police from Canobolas Local Area Command were alerted about the missing girls. They started a search assisted by POLAIR, SES and RFS personnel throughout the operation.
The missing girls, who are believed not to be related, were climbing hills before they were reported missing. They were a part of a camp which they set up with parents. The entire days at the camp was spent bushwalking.
According to one of the local residents who took part as a volunteer in the search, the girls are lucky to have returned safely. The river, which was running high and fast, could have been quite dangerous.
When they did not return to their respective families, a major hunt was started. The families stayed up all night along with emergency service workers.
The search involved flood boats and police helicopters. The place has a history of mining. Plus, it has a number of abandoned tunnels and shafts. The girls apparently spent the night in the bush.
According to Neale Fraser, a senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, the temperature dropped a degree overnight in the region.
“For much of the night it would have been about five or six degrees until the early hours of the morning, when it dropped to one degree by 6am,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted him as saying.
According to Cabonne Council mayor Ian Gosper, the area is quite steep. He says the gold mining area is a popular recreation area for bushwalkers.
NSW Police have thanked everyone who has been a part of the search for the missing girls.
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