Police are appealing for further information from the public after
sightings today of a man with a similar description to missing man, Senior
Sergeant Mick Isles.
Members of the public have reported seeing a man dressed in civilian
clothing walking along the Flinders Highway near Toonpan.
The man sighted on the highway is described as Caucasian in
appearance, aged in his late 50s, approximately 178cm tall, with greying
hair. He was wearing a short sleeved checked shirt, grey dress shorts with a
thin black belt, white socks and black shoes. He was also carrying a small
carry bag.
Members of the public are asked to remain vigilant for any sightings
of any person along the Flinders Highway and in the Toonpan area that may
fit the description of Senior Sergeant Isles and to contact Townsville
Police immediately 4759 9777.
Search Update, Snr Sgt Mick Isles
Last updated 29/09/2009
Police continued the search
today for Senior Sergeant Mick Isles in the area near Ravenswood where
the vehicle he was driving was located yesterday.
Approximately 20 SES personnel and five police officers continued
the land search in difficult searching terrain, but failed to locate
Senior Sergeant Isles.
The search will cease at nightfall and resume tomorrow morning.
Forty-five Australian Defence Force personnel and 20 SES members
will assist 6 police officers to coordinate the search at first light.
Police are grateful for the assistance of members of the public
who continue to provide information during the search and ask people to
remain vigilant for any sightings of any person fitting the description
of Senior Sergeant Isles.
He is described as being Caucasian, approximately 180cm tall, of a
medium build, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Anyone with information which could assist police with their
investigations should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333
000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day.
Crime Stoppers is a charitable community volunteer
organisation working in partnership with the Queensland Police Service.
Army joins search for missing policeman
Posted
Wed Sep 30, 2009 7:22am AEST - ABC
A search resumes in north Queensland this morning for a
police officer reported missing a week ago.
Senior Sergeant Mick Isles disappeared from Ayr last Wednesday and
grave concerns are held for his safety.
Twenty State Emergency Services volunteers and five police officers
searched yesterday without success.
The Army is expected to join the search today.
Search for police officer, Ravenswood
Last updated 01/10/2009
The search at Ravenswood for missing police
officer Senior Sergeant Mick Isles will continue tomorrow as the search
and rescue effort transitions into a missing persons investigation.
Northern Region Chief Superintendent Michael
Keating said if no trace of Senior Sergeant Isles was located by the end
of tomorrow, it was likely the ground search would be suspended.
“The extensive search for Senior Sergeant Mick
Isles has failed to locate any further information on his whereabouts.
It is the next logical step to take to change the status of the
investigation from a search and rescue to a missing person.
“Obviously if any information comes to light that
may assist police in the search for Senior Sergeant Isles, we will
resume the search. Our priority is to find our colleague Mick safe and
well.”
Senior Sergeant Isles was last seen around 7.30am
on Wednesday, September 23. A property owner near Ravenswood located the
officer’s silver Toyota Aurion vehicle on Monday, September 28.
Police have coordinated the search at Ravenswood
which included a wide-ranging foot search conducted by 45 ADF personnel
and up to 25 SES members over four days.
Further search efforts included police officers on
motorcycles and quad bikes, police dogs, and a broad air search.
Today the search covered about 63 square
kilometres from the air and 15 square kilometres on the ground, which is
a significant area based on the difficult terrain at Ravenswood.
“Our thoughts are with Mick’s family who have had
the difficult task of having to endure long days of waiting while the
search for their husband and father continued,” Chief Superintendent
Keating said.
“We will continue to communicate with the family
and provide regular updates with any new information that arises.”
Police thanked the volunteers who gave up their
days in hot and dry conditions to assist with the search.
Police are grateful for the assistance of members
of the public who continue to provide information during the search and
ask people to remain vigilant for any sightings of any person fitting
the description of Senior Sergeant Isles.
Police urge anyone that may have any information
on the whereabouts of Senior Sergeant Isles to contact Townsville police
on 4759 9777 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
He is described as being Caucasian, approximately
180cm tall, of a medium build, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Anyone with information which could assist
police with their investigations should contact Crime Stoppers
anonymously via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day.
Crime Stoppers is a charitable community
volunteer organisation working in partnership with the Queensland Police
Service.
Update to search for missing person, Ayr
Last updated 04/10/2009
The search for Senior Sergeant Mick Isles has moved into a third
phase.
This will include police visiting all neighbouring stations in the
area, providing property owners and workers with pictures of Senior
Sergeant Isles and checking all water holes and water courses for signs
of unexplained human activity in the area.
These actions will be taken to assist in the search for Senior
Sergeant Isles and are part of the planning which has been put in place.
Anyone with information which could assist police with their
investigations should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333
000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day. Crime Stoppers is a charitable
community volunteer organisation working in partnership with the
Queensland Police Service.
Police chief tight-lipped on missing officer's treatment
By Penny Timms - ABC
Posted Tue Oct 13, 2009 8:41am AEDT
QLD Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson says he will not weigh into
the debate on the treatment of a north Queensland police officer, missing for
almost three weeks.
Ground and air searches have failed to find Senior Sergeant Mick Isles after
he went missing from Ayr, near Townsville.
Senior Sergeant Isles was last seen leaving his home to attend a conference
in Townsville.
His abandoned car was found on private property at Ravenswood, but an air and
ground search failed to find him.
His son, Steven Isles, has criticised his father's treatment during a Crime
and Misconduct Commission (CMC) inquiry, which recently cleared the officer.
Commissioner Atkinson believes it is the first time an officer has gone
missing and cannot be found.
"I don't want to get into the situation in terms of responding to the angst
the family feel or Steven's criticisms of the organisation - I don't think that
would be helpful at this time," he said
Commissioner Atkinson says it is a difficult time for Sergeant Isles' family
and colleagues.
"I don't think in our history as an organisation - we started as an
organisation in 1964 - that we've ever had a situation where we've had one of
our own members who was missing," he said.
"We fear the worst but hope for the best obviously, but we do fear the worst
for him.
"For a senior sergeant of police not to be able to be found after - now after
over two weeks of searching and effort - is tragic."
Indigenous trackers to aid missing sergeant search
By Penny Timms - ABC
Posted Oct 27th 2009
The family of missing north Queensland police officer
Senior Sergeant Mick Isles is enlisting Indigenous trackers to help with
their search.
The officer's abandoned car was found on a Ravenswood property, but a
search failed to find Sergeant Isles, who was last seen leaving his home in
Ayr in late September.
His son, Steve Isles, says he understands police are also starting
another search today.
"They are actually resuming the search which is quite unusual in a bid
to re-screen the tracks where they've been and see if they have not missed
anything," he said.
"They're spending two days out there with extensive resources and
logistics.
"I've made approaches to them to consider pooling resources and have
their resources work with the trackers that I'm bringing back so that, if we
can, we can achieve the best result by working together."
Mr Isles says the Indigenous trackers "are well cultured, native
people from Arnhem Land who are regarded as the best trackers remaining in
Australia today".
"I'm actually going to be approaching their community and speaking to
their community and accompanying them from their back to North Queensland,"
he said.
Search for missing person resumed
Last Updated:
27/10/2009
A ground search for missing police officer Senior Sergeant
Mick Isles resumed at Ravenswood this morning.
Northern Region Assistant Commissioner Clem O'Regan said the
search concentrated on the eight square kilometre area where the
officer's silver Toyota Aurion was found on Monday, September 28.
The search was conducted by about eighty officers and included
six Stock and Rural Crime Investigation Squad officers and eight
Special Emergency Response Team members, along with about 60 police
recruits.
Assistant Commissioner O'Regan said, "We're retracing the
search area to ensure no evidence has been missed."
"Our priority is to find our colleague Mick safe and well.
"While no further information was uncovered today, the search
is expected to continue tomorrow morning at first light.
"We will continue to target inquiries towards any information
that comes to light that may assist police in the search."
Previous search efforts have included police officers on
motorcycles and quad bikes, police dogs, a broad air search and a
wide-ranging foot search conducted by police, ADF personnel and SES
members.
"Our thoughts are with Mick's family who has had the difficult
task of enduring long days of waiting during the search for their
husband and father," Assistant Commissioner O'Regan said.
Police are grateful for the assistance of members of the
public who continue to provide information during the search and ask
people to remain vigilant for any information which might assist the
search.
Senior Sergeant Isles was last seen around 7.30am on
Wednesday, September 23.
Police urge anyone that may have any information on the
whereabouts of Senior Sergeant Isles to contact Townsville police on
4759 9777 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
He is described as being Caucasian, approximately 180cm tall,
of a medium build, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Anyone with information which could assist police
with their investigations should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously
via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day. Crime Stoppers
is a charitable community volunteer organisation working in
partnership with the Queensland Police Service.
Trackers to help in search for
police officer
By Kerrin
Binnie
Posted
Mon Nov 2, 2009 9:37am AEDT
- ABC
The family of a missing police
officer in north Queensland has engaged Aboriginal
trackers to find him.
Senior Sergeant Mick Isles has not been seen since
leaving his Ayr home in late September.
His son Steven Isles traveled to Arnhem Land in
the Northern Territory to ask for help from Aboriginal
trackers.
Two trackers arrived in Ayr last night and are
making their way to Ravenswood this morning.
That is where Sgt Isles car was found abandoned
several days after he disappeared.
"They'll work however they can - however they do
with the land.
"These trackers have come over with the full
intention of finding my father."
"It may sound strange to some - they believe they
can speak and engage spirits - I'm not here to question
that."
"Whatever may come out of their time searching for
my father, I feel that we're going to gain something."
Trackers fail to find missing policeman
By Penny Timms - ABC
Posted
Fri Nov 6, 2009 11:00am AEDT
The family of missing Ayr police officer Senior Sergeant
Mick Isles will continue their search, after Aboriginal trackers were unable
to locate him.
The officer has not been seen since September when his unmarked police
car was found abandoned on rural property at Ravenswood in north Queensland.
His son, Steven Isles, says he spent three days searching the area
with the trackers, but thick overgrowth prevented a complete search of the
rugged area.
"As far as the trackers that have actually given their time to travel
with myself from central Arnhem Land to north Queensland, now they've
indicated their beliefs, their views through a certain affiliation with the
land and other things I guess westerners would not understand, including
myself," he said.
"We're letting them be the guide at this stage because at this point
in time, we have no other options."
He says the family are closer to finding an answer.
"The three days that we've been put in Ravenswood, with the trackers,
they've led us on a journey and said that they can establish what they see
is the truth," he said.
"They're yet to tell the family the full story but they've led us in a
direction that we will be continuing our search - it was just inaccessible
at the time because of thick lantana bush."
