Melbourne: Australian police on Monday resumed the search for an Indo-Canadian bushwalker in the national park in the country's southeast where he was last seen in May. The search for 25-year-old student Prabhdeep Srawn resumed the Kosciuszko National Park after more than six months, with the help of New South Wales Police. Eighteen volunteers were due to arrive from Canada as well to help locate the Indian-origin Bond University law student and army reservist, the Canberra Times reported.
Srawn was last seen on May 13 while parking a rental car in Charlotte Pass Village before setting out in fine conditions to hike near Australia's two highest peaks, Mt Kosciuszko and Mt Townsend. His disappearance was reported a week later and a large air and land search was conducted for over two weeks. The search was halted on June 1 ahead of heavy winter snowfall. Srawn's cousin Ruby Singh said the family was realistic about the likely outcome, but was grateful for the resources allocated by authorities. "Obviously this has been a very difficult time and it has been very hard on all of us," she said.
"We're hoping that they will be able to hopefully find Prabh soon and we can put this behind us," Singh said. "We have been trying our best to look at things from many different angles and talk to experts. We still don't have the concrete answer and we are trying to get that." She said a week-long small scale search could be followed by a larger operation. Srawn's family spent over 50,000 dollars to bring a four-man Canadian search and rescue team to the area, assisted by local volunteers. The family also offered a reward for anyone who helped find Srawn before withdrawing it on the advice of authorities.
It is unclear what supplies Srawn, trained in survival skills, had for a trek that is usually completed within a day. Srawn's sister Mandeep Srawn found his laptop in the rental car, revealing his likely route towards Mt Townsend, a short distance off the Main Range walk. He left in fine, mild conditions but is thought to have been exposed as a cold front and blizzard hit the area, dumping at least 30 cm of snow.
