Daymon NESS
Daymon NESS
Daymon with Dad William and with Mum Elise
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Henry Zwartz - ABCNorthern Territory police are conducting an extensive search in areas around Nitmiluk National Park to try to find a Victorian tourist who has not been seen for three days.
Daymon Ness, 30, had been travelling alone and arrived in Katherine from Darwin by hire car on Monday.
NT Police said Mr Ness arrived at Nitmiluk the next day sometime after 1:00pm.
Police believe he then went for a walk on one of the Nitmiluk trails alone.
Parks and Wildlife staff, together with police, are searching the national park.
Daymon's father William Ness said his son had texted a friend on Tuesday, telling them he was going for a walk around Katherine Gorge.
"He sent some pictures to his cousin in Germany on Monday night and texted a friend on Tuesday about 11 o'clock to say he was about to go for a walk at Katherine Gorge," he said.
"And that was the last communication anyone had.
"If anyone sees him, please get in touch with police. We're hoping all that's happened is he has had a fall and he's injured.
"If anyone was at Katherine Gorge on Tuesday and saw him, please get in touch with police. He's very friendly and very approachable.
"We would really appreciate any help because we are really concerned."
Mr Ness is described as a Caucasian male, with a thin build, around 190 centimetres tall, with dark brown hair, hazel eyes and was last seen wearing a black top, green/grey pants and red shoes.
Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen Mr Ness to contact them on 131 444, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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Lauren Roberts - ABCNorthern Territory police have today suspended the search for Victorian man Daymon Ness, who went missing in the Katherine area last week.
Police say Mr Ness, 30, has not been seen since he went for a walk alone in Nitmiluk National Park on Tuesday, October 20.
Authorities conducted ground, fixed and rotary wing, drones and water searches of the Katherine area, but were not able to locate Mr Ness.
The search included some 28 people over five days, in hot and dangerous conditions.
Mr Ness's parents William and Elise Ness flew to Darwin after learning their son was missing. They are currently in quarantine at Howard Springs.
They will not be able to leave the facility until Friday next week, but they say they understand the need to protect vulnerable Territorians and are staying strong, relying on each other and their faith.
"Selfishly I'd love to leave quarantine today and go down and pick up his stuff and say goodbye but I also understand the concerns, particularly for Aboriginal communities, and the need to take care of everyone," William Ness said.
"We just have to wait."
Police said Mr Ness had been travelling alone and arrived in Katherine from Darwin by hire car on Monday October 19, the day before he went missing.
Mr Ness arrived at Nitmiluk on Tuesday and police believe he then went for a walk on one of the trails.
Mr Ness did not register with the national park office before setting off, and William Ness speculated the 30-year-old had set out for a short stroll to take some photos before the sunset.
On Wednesday, Mr Ness missed a Skype call with a friend. His family sounded the alarm later that day after he did not turn up to pick up a canoe he rented.
"It wasn't until late [Wednesday] afternoon that the search was actually launched so he'd already been out there one day," Ms Ness said.
William and Ms Ness said they were not happy with their son's decision to travel on his own, but his plans to see Europe and Machu Picchu this year were curtailed due to COVID-19.
"It was his last-ditch effort to have a holiday because he had the whole year off," Ms Ness said.
"I should have made my thoughts more vigorously known. And a warning to any parents: Make sure you know exactly where they are at all times … make sure they check in with you and not their friends."
Anyone arriving into the Northern Territory from or through a declared hotspot — which currently includes the entire state of Victoria — must quarantine for 14 days.
Northern Territory Health Minister Natasha Fyles confirmed Mr Ness's family had applied for a quarantine exemption prior to their arrival and the application had been denied.
"I'm aware of the case and they did apply to the Chief Health Officer [for a quarantine exemption] but because they've come from a hotspot, he made a decision that they did need to quarantine," she said.
"They have been liaising with other family members from a non-hotspot area to try and support.
She said Mr Ness's parents would unfortunately be unable to visit the region where their son is missing during the quarantine phase.
"But these decisions are all made based on clinical advice to keep us safe," she said.
Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen Mr Ness to contact them on 131 444, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police said they conducted an intensive search involving police, NTES, Parks and Wildlife Commission and various helicopter companies.
That search involved an area that had been searched via air several times.
"We have had to make this decision to call off the search, however the case remains open," Superintendent Daniel Shean said.
"We are still asking that if anyone knows or has seen anything that may lead us to Mr Ness, to please come forward."
He is described as a Caucasian male, with a thin build, around 190 centimetres tall, with dark brown hair, hazel eyes and was last seen wearing a black top, green/grey pants and red shoes.
The Ness family thanked police, searchers and wildlife staff for their extensive hunt through the park.
They said their thoughts were also with Mr Ness's friends and everyone who loved him.
"We are overwhelmed by the unselfish motivation of their heroic efforts," William Ness said.
And thinking of his son, William Ness said: "I just found this beautiful quote from Dr Seuss: 'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.'"
THE investigation into the disappearance of Daymon Ness at Nitmiluk National Park has been handed to the Criminal Investigation Branch, who will try to piece together the 30-year-old’s movements.
Superintendent Daniel Shean told the NT News the search and rescue was stopped on Monday after all avenues had been exhausted, with management of the case now handed over to the Criminal Investigation Branch.
“They will make inquires and map out his last activities and actions leading up the time that he went missing,” Superintendent Shean said.
He stressed it was “not a criminal investigation” but handed to the CIB as they were best placed to carry on the investigation.
“There’s a number of avenues that we’ve got to investigate to satisfy that his disappearance has resulted in death,” he said.
Mr Ness’s personal possessions and hire car, a silver Ford Falcon station wagon with WA number plates, remain in the hands of detectives who are analysing the items.
“All of that stuff will be looked at to determine if there’s anything else that will lead us to another avenue of inquiry,” Superintendent Shean said.
He said the search and rescue operation was extensive, with teams searching all the tracks in the southern walks. It is believed Mr Ness walked the Baruwei Loop, which is closed at the moment for upgrades.
NT Emergency Service volunteer Brett Martin was among those who dedicated their time to help with the search.
Mr Martin said conditions were tough, with the heat from the sun and the rock and the danger of crevices making the walk difficult.
“The difficulty we had up top the other day was the heat was getting into the rocks and the retention is just quite incredible. There’s very rough deep (crevices), you need to beware of snakes,” Mr Martin said.
“There are boulders 20-30 metres high and rock crevices everywhere. It’s difficult terrain.”
While making their way down to the shade, they also came across a man who had scooted around the construction fence in an effort to do the walk.
He said people needed to be aware of the dangers of walking in the heat.
Superintendent Shean said people should be appropriately dressed, carry plenty of water and consider taking an EPIRB.
He thanked police, NT Parks and Wildlife rangers and NT Emergency Service volunteers for their efforts in working in tough terrain and hot conditions.
“The conditions out there were quite hot. Not only were you competing with the heat from the sun but also the heat from the rocks, and also the terrain which makes it quite dangerous for line searching,” he said.
Mr Ness’s parents are quarantining at Howard Springs and will head to Katherine as soon as they can leave the facility.
JAWOYN Elders have passed on missing man Daymon Ness’s spirit, with his parents making their way to Katherine for the ceremony last Friday.
Mr Ness told the NT News it was a healing moment to have traditional owners, the Jawoyn people, welcome his son’s spirit into the land.
“The elders wanted to meet with us and to share his spirit with the land and to welcome him into the land,” he said.
“It was absolutely beautiful and was a real healing moment for us.”
Mr Ness said he wanted to thank the Jawoyn people for the ceremony.
He said they were now preparing to leave the Territory.