Police searching for a missing 73-year-old German woman have found a body at Trephina Gorge in a remote part of the Northern Territory.
The discovery of the body, believed by police to be tourist Gisela Thor, was made at 1pm on Tuesday and comes a day after that of her husband, Wilfred Thor, 76, was discovered.
Sergeant Philip Emmett said emergency services and rangers mapped an area of more than 80 sq km and covered more than 50 sq km as part of the search.
“Unfortunately in this circumstance, the outcome has been tragic for the two missing persons and their families,” he said. “We would like to thank the emergency service volunteers, parks and wildlife rangers and police crews who were involved in the search.”
“It’s such a sad end to what was obviously a lifetime of endeavour and planning to come and visit Australia.”
The cause of death has yet to be established and a file is being prepared for the coroner.
Over the weekend, temperatures soared to 40C in the area and a police said officers searched the couple’s hotel room and found “important” medication.
The pair arrived in Australia at the start of the month and hired a car from Alice Springs airport on 9 February. Sometime in the next day, they drove more than 70km east to Trephina Gorge.
A helicopter was sent to the area while police, State Emergency Service personnel and a park ranger spread out and searched by foot, or on motorbikes, quadbikes, horseback and with dogs.
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