A body, believed to be that of missing hiker Claire Hockridge, has been found in Central Australia.
Tamra McBeath-Riley, Phu Tran and Claire Hockridge went missing on an afternoon trek in November. Photo: NT Police
Police Superintendent Pauline Vicary said a woman's body was located about 38 kilometres south-east of the Stuart Well Roadhouse, around 8.5 kilometres east of the Stuart Highway.
"We believe that person to be Claire Hockridge," she said.
Search and rescue officers were focussing on the Palmer Valley Station area today and NT Police announced that they had located a body at 1:00pm.
Superintendent Vicary said they were concerned this morning that Ms Hockridge had run out of water, but that there were still hopes she had managed to survive.
Ms Hockridge, her partner, Tamra McBeath-Riley, 52, and South Australian man Phu Tran, 40, went missing after going for an afternoon trek on Tuesday, November 19.
Ms Hockridge was last seen by Mr Tran at the boundary fence of a station south of Alice Springs two days ago, where the two had parted ways and he decided to follow the fence line.
Mr Tran was found by a pastoralist on Tuesday morning.
Speaking alongside Ms Hockridge's family members at the Alice Springs Police Station on Wednesday, Mr Tran thanked the NT emergency services and rescue teams for their efforts.
"I hope that everyone will give us a few days for grieving," he said.
Superintendent Vicary said authorities were still determining the circumstances that led to the separation of Ms Hockridge and Mr Tran.
"It may have been that she was exhausted and didn't feel like she could continue to go," she said.
Ms Hockridge was a triplet, and one of her sisters, Sarah Hockridge, said the family was grieving and exhausted "from the emotional rollercoaster that we have ridden".
"Even though Claire has died in terrible circumstances, we are glad that Tamra and Phu have been found alive and well, and we are extremely grateful to everyone who was involved in that," she said.
"My parents, brothers, Melinda and I extend our gratitude to the Northern Territory Police for their skilful investigation that allowed the search area to be focussed correctly.
"They haven't had a day off since this whole thing started."
Sarah Hockridge also thanked the staff at the Stuart Well Roadhouse and Northern Territory pastoralists.
"Thank you so very, very much, you know what you have done," she said.
"We are really grateful to everyone who has supported us over what has been a truly agonising time.
Ms Hockridge's partner, Ms McBeath-Riley, was found at a waterhole east of the Stuarts Well area, south of Alice Springs, late on Sunday December 1.
Efforts to find Ms Hockridge were hampered by thick dense scrub and the fact the missing woman continued to move location, Superintendent Vicary said.
The trio was reported missing on November 23 and police began an air search three days later, initially focussing on areas south of Alice Springs near Owen Springs, Stuarts Well and Rainbow Valley.
The body is yet to be formally identified and NT Police said a report would be prepared for the coroner.
- ABC
