Yvonne Whear's vehicle recovered from Rous River

Police divers have recovered a gold Ford Escape from the Rous River near Murwillumbah, believed to belong to Yvonne Whear, a 73-year-old woman who has been missing since February 19.

The vehicle was located near Dulguigan following information provided to authorities. While several personal items suspected to belong to Ms. Whear were found inside the car, she was not in the vehicle and remains missing. The discovery follows a search by the independent group Sun State Search, which used sonar equipment to locate the car on the riverbed.

Investigators have established a crime scene and are conducting forensic and mechanical examinations of the vehicle. This development marks a significant shift in the investigation, moving from a broad missing persons inquiry to a specific scene investigation. Ms. Whear was last seen on CCTV at a Murwillumbah service station before her vehicle was recorded traveling toward Dungay. Her phone’s last signal was recorded in the Dulguigan area the following morning.