Volunteer group plans third search for man missing since January

A volunteer group dedicated to finding missing persons is preparing for a third search operation, this time for Michael Vrankovic, who disappeared from George Town, Tasmania, nearly six months ago. The news offered a glimmer of hope to his family, who had been anxiously awaiting a breakthrough.

Vrankovic, described as a shy and good-hearted individual, was last confirmed seen on January 13. Concerns were raised on January 21 when a neighbor reported him missing. Police and the State Emergency Service (SES) conducted initial searches of the coastal town and surrounding areas between January 23 and March 5, utilizing helicopter searches, mountain bikes, and foot patrols.

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I was pretty elated to hear it. It was just a bit of a breakthrough for us that we needed.

His sister, Sue Ngan Wu, believes her brother, an avid bushwalker, likely ventured onto isolated tracks, a habit consistent with his shy nature and preference for solitude in nature. His phone and wallet are believed to be with him, but his car has not been used, and nothing appeared out of place at his home.

The search for Vrankovic will be led by Jon Edmunds, who was part of the volunteer group that searched for Belgian tourist Celine Cremer. Cremer went missing in Tasmania's wilderness in 2023, and the volunteers' efforts tragically led to the discovery of her remains in January. Witnessing the importance of providing closure to families, many of these volunteers formalized their efforts into the group Find Our Lost Loved Ones (FOLLO), which has since undertaken other searches for long-term missing individuals.

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He loved bushwalking. He'd been doing that since a pretty young age. That's what I think he probably was doing when he went missing.