Latest news with #Toodyay
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Sinister twist in the hunt for missing German backpacker, two weeks after she vanished without trace in the remote WA outback
The search for missing German backpacker has taken a chilling new turn after a burnt-out van matching the description of her vehicle was reportedly discovered near a remote WA campsite. Caroline Wilga, 26, who has spent two years backpacking around Australia working at mine sites and farms, was last seen with the van on CCTV at a service station in Toodyay, northeast of Perth, on June 28. She made contact with friends the next day while travelling near Beacon, in WA's remote Wheatbelt region but then vanished without a trace. The burnt-out van, stripped of licence plates, was spotted by local man Geoff Roberts in Gnaraloo, on the Ningaloo coast, around 11 hours from Ms Wilga's last known location. Mr Roberts raised the alarm after seeing the call for information on the Western Australia Police Force Facebook page. 'Very similar vehicle to this one burnt out between Gnaraloo 3 Mile camp and the homestead. Plates have been removed,' he posted on social media, tagging in WA Police. Police are yet to confirm the link to the missing backpacker, but its discovery has deepened fears for Ms Wilga, who has not been seen or heard from in 12 days. She was believed to be travelling in the black and silver 1995 Mitsubishi Delica van with WA licence plates 1HDS330 and a distinctive rooftop tent. Police are yet to confirm the find, but the sinister claim has only deepened fears for the young woman, who has not been seen or heard from in 12 days. Her phone has since been switched off, and investigators say all contact stopped suddenly. Homicide detectives have now joined the case, though police say it is not officially a murder investigation 'at this point.' 'We are very concerned for her welfare,' WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch told reporters. 'They are investigating - not that it's a homicide at this point, but we want our very best capabilities to investigate something that is very concerning to us.' The WA Police air wing has also been deployed, with land and aerial searches underway across the vast outback region. Caroline is described as having a slim build, long frizzy dark blonde hair, brown eyes, and several tattoos, including on her left arm. Wilga has not been seen or heard from since her last contact with friends in Beacon. Before she was last seen, Ms Wilga would also routinely contact her family. Police say she was believed to be travelling in a black and silver 1995 Mitsubishi Delica van with WA licence plates 1HDS330 (pictured) and a distinctive rooftop tent They last heard from her on June 18. The family hold concerns for her welfare due to the lack of 'regular communication'. Her devastated mother, Katja from Castrop-Rauxel near Dortmund, appealed to the public for help in response to a post shared on social media. 'I'm her mother and need her help, as I can't do much from Germany,' she commented on a social media post. 'Carolina is still sorely missed. If anyone has any information, please contact the police. Please keep your eyes open!' Police are urging anyone with information or dashcam footage from the Beacon area or northeast Wheatbelt between June 29 and July 4 to come forward.
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- News.com.au
Desperate search for missing backpacker Caroline Wilga, 26, last seen in WA
A desperate search is under way to locate a missing 26-year old German backpacker who was last seen in Western Australia's Wheatbelt. Caroline Wilga, 26, was reported missing to police and has not been heard from since June 29. She was last seen at a convenience store on Stirling Tce near the intersection of Goomalling-Toodyay Rd in Toodyay on June 28. Police believe Ms Wilga was travelling through the Wheatbelt region of Wialki near Beacon - about 320km northeast of Perth - when she last contacted friends. A police spokesman said Ms Wilga has been backpacking in Australia for the past two years, living mostly in hostels, and works at mine sites. She has a slim build, frizzy-curly long dark blonde hair, brown eyes and several tattoos, including a symbol on her left arm. Police believe she is travelling in a black and silver 1995 Mitsubishi Station sedan with WA number plates 1HDS330. 'Anyone with any information in relation to the whereabouts of Carolina Wilga is urged to contact police immediately,' a spokesman said.
ABC News
09-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
King's Birthday honour for veteran Toodyay fire volunteer Ian MacGregor
More than three decades of dedicated service has seen a volunteer fire and rescue captain — who has responded to some of Western Australia's most traumatic road incidents — recognised with national honours. Toodyay Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service (VFRS) captain Ian MacGregor has been awarded an Australian Fire Service Medal for his contribution to the Wheatbelt region as a volunteer firefighter over the past three decades. Macca, as he is affectionately known locally, is the fourth member of the brigade in Toodyay, about 90 kilometres north-east of Perth, to receive the honour. Mr MacGregor got his first taste of fighting fires shortly after moving to Toodyay in 1980, battling a fire near the Avon River on Christmas Day. He officially joined the Toodyay VFRS in 1993 and has been the captain for more than two decades. "In those days you just got on the truck and put the fire out," he said. "I can help save one house or get someone out of a car and get them to hospital and help someone that's worse off than me." Under Mr MacGregor's leadership, the brigade has more than doubled in size and boasts one of the highest female-to-male ratios in the state. Mr MacGregor said looking after his team always came first, particularly during challenging and traumatic incidents. "I preach this to all our crews — we didn't put them there," he said. Mr MacGregor has been pivotal in improving the access to support services for witnesses to traumatic events. "We unfortunately had a fatal accident out on Goomalling Road a few years ago and I was sitting in the fire truck when I noticed some people on the side of the road reeling from what they had seen," he said. "I watched them and thought, 'What happens to them?' "We, as firefighters, have counselling and peer support but they have nothing." As a result, Mr MacGregor worked with the Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services Association of WA to ensure that adequate support resources were given to anyone involved in or witnessing a traumatic incident. Throughout his decades of volunteering, Mr MacGregor has often seen tragedy touch his local community, including his own family. Eighteen years ago, his eldest son Shane suffered a serious brain injury in a motorcycle accident. "For 18 days while Shane was on life support we were told by staff at Royal Perth Hospital to not get our hopes up and that he was going to die," Mr MacGregor said. After nine months of rehabilitation, Shane was released from hospital and brought back home to Toodyay where he has been embraced ever since. This month Shane celebrated 25 years of volunteer service with the Toodyay VFRS, working alongside his dad. "Shane is always the first to put his hand up to turn out to an incident and sets the example to others to never give up," he said. "He brings a lot of fun and humour to the brigade, as well as at the local tennis and hockey clubs where everyone loves him." Mr MacGregor's youngest son Darren has followed a similar path, working as a career firefighter in Perth. Mr MacGregor said countless mentors and mates over his decades of involvement in VFRS made him the firefighter he was today. "I've had a lot of good people come before me to get me to where I am."
