Disappearance of Indigenous man Jeremiah Rivers being treated as ‘suspicious’

The disappearance of a antheral missing successful Queensland’s distant south-west for astir 3 weeks is being treated arsenic suspicious.

Queensland detectives person taken implicit the lawsuit of Jeremiah Rivers who was past seen adjacent Wippo Creek, astir 20km southbound of Noccundra, connected 18 October.

Det Acting Supt Stephen Blanchfield says constabulary person sedate fears for the 27-year-old Indigenous antheral aft concluding a hunt of the distant area.

Rivers – from eastbound Kimberley successful WA – disappeared portion camping with six others arsenic helium travelled to Darwin from Balranald successful the NSW Riverina portion aft playing AFL.

He was not instantly reported missing by the radical who camped adjacent Wippo Creek from 18-19 October. Blanchfield said Rivers was an experienced bushman.

Stephen Blanchfield speaks to reporters astatine the Queensland constabulary office connected Thursday. Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP

“But the state retired determination is highly distant and determination is not a batch of h2o oregon nutrient retired determination truthful we person sedate concerns for his safety,” helium said.

“If helium were wounded and incapable to move, we should person been capable to find him by now. He is idiosyncratic who has a reasonably precocious level of accomplishment successful this benignant of bush country [but] for him to person wandered disconnected ... is precise unusual.”

Rivers’ possessions were recovered astatine the campsite and successful the car of the travelling group.

Police volition proceed to talk with the group’s six different members who are isolating aft immoderate tested affirmative to Covid.

Blanchfield alleged the radical entered Queensland illegally aft driving from NSW and that could explicate wherefore they did not instantly study Rivers missing.

Victorian and NSW constabulary are assisting but Blanchfield said antithetic versions of events were “not rather matching up”. “Our inquiries to day person indicated that immoderate of the accusation that we person is not consistent,” helium said connected Thursday.

Police person concluded their hunt but members of Rivers’ household person travelled from Western Australia and the NT to proceed looking for him.

His mother, Joanne Rivers, has acceptable up a GoFundMe webpage to rise wealth for the hunt with 182 radical truthful acold donating much than $14,000.

Rivers’ grandmother, whose sanction has not been released by police, earlier this week begged him to travel location and for anyone with accusation to travel forward.

Rivers is astir 185cm tall, has a slim physique and a tattoo of a transverse nether his close arm.

Police person urged anyone with accusation to interaction Policelink connected 131 444 oregon Crime Stoppers connected 1800 333 000.