Northern Territory Police have expressed "grave" concerns about the welfare of three people who have been missing in Central Australia for over five days.
Alice Springs residents Claire Hockridge, 46, and Tamra McBeath-Riley, 52, and South Australian man Phu Tran, 40, were reported missing to police on Saturday, November 23.
An aerial search yesterday in the Stuart Well and Owen Springs area, south of Alice Springs, failed to find the trio, with police stating it was unusual for them not to have been in contact with family members.
They are believed to have been travelling in a late model white Mitsubishi Triton ute with the SA registration 483AAI and had a dog with them.
Superintendent Pauline Vicary said police had conducted another aerial search this afternoon and that today's search efforts had focused on over 650 square kilometres.
"NT Police hold grave concerns for the three persons missing from the Alice Springs area," she said.
"We are asking assistance from the public in relation to the timeline of the party's movements.
"We have been looking at phone usage and working with telecommunications providers.
"The initial information that we have had has been extremely vague and there has been quite a bit of conflicting information coming through."
Superintendent Vicary said NT Police would reassess their search efforts tomorrow.
Daughter worried the group has run out of water
Teagan Eden-Street, who made the initial missing persons report, said she had not heard from her mother, Ms Hockridge, or her stepmother, Ms McBeath-Riley, since November 19, 2019.
"Last time I spoke with her I did the usual call, you know how you call your mother when your child is being naughty," she said.
Ms Eden-Street said it was common for the women to go out bush and that they were experienced campers.
"It is very normal for them to go for a trek, it is something they have been doing for over a decade," she said.
"The abnormal thing is the lack of check-in contact.
"At the moment, we don't really seem to have any true direction as to where to go."
Her main concern was that the group had run out of water.
"We all know how that goes and there is only so much you can ration your water out," Ms Eden-Street said.
"My other concern is that they've had an actual accident and that they are not in a fully cognitively-aware position."
NT Police have urged anyone with information about the group's whereabouts to call 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
