23 August 2023

UPDATE: Gibraltar Falls search suspended with 'nothing of interest' found following reports of cries for help

| Claire Fenwicke
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Gibraltar Falls

Witnesses reported hearing cries for help in the Gibraltar Falls area on Monday (22 August) evening. Photo: ACT Government.

UPDATE – Police have been unable to find the source of reported cries for help at Gibraltar Falls.

The search has since been suspended, after spending close to two days searching the area on foot and from the air for the source of the reported distress.

In a statement ACT Policing said “nothing of interest” had been found.

Officers had been called after witnesses said they heard someone calling for help in the area.

Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the matter are ongoing.

Anyone who may have information that could assist the investigation have been urged to call ACT Policing Operations on 131 444.

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22 AUGUST, 11:30 am – Police are searching for a potentially missing woman following reports of cries for help at Gibraltar Falls.

Officers received a call on Monday evening (21 August) at about 5:30 that calls for help were heard by witnesses parked off Corin Road near the closed Gibraltar Falls entrance.

Police and ACT Parks Rangers searched the area until midnight, but no one who needed help was found.

Drones were also deployed to scour the falls and resumed their search today (22 August).

ACT Policing would like to speak with anyone in the vicinity of Gibraltar Falls yesterday afternoon or anyone aware of family or friends visiting the area yesterday.

Anyone with information that could assist police is urged to contact ACT Policing Communications on 131 444, quoting reference 7516648.

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Gibraltar Falls has remained closed since two people fell to their deaths earlier this year.

Twenty-two-year-old Queanbeyan man Patrick Prevett fell from the popular tourist spot on 18 February, while 19-year-old Thomas Livingstone is believed to have slipped while scrambling across rocks in front of the waterfall on 12 February.

Their deaths lead to Canberra’s tourism agency pulling all marketing for the site.

Gibraltar Falls has multiple safety warnings and barriers preventing people from venturing off the walking tracks.

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So when will this beautiful piece of local nature open up to us again?

Lars this is another example of the Government making a unilateral decision that impacts our lives without thought or evidence. It is sad that two people died there by being fool hardy, however that is not a reason to permanently ban access for the rest of us. Barr’s Government would have no problem doing that permanently though if they are allowed to get away with it. In fact he has almost certainly already committed to that and is probably just wating on the ‘independent’ report to land in order to justify it.

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