The car belonging to missing Tweed woman Yvonne Whear has been found submerged in the Rous River, almost seven months after she disappeared.
The gold-coloured Ford Escape was recovered from the river near Dulguigan on Saturday, September 12, less than 10 kilometres from Ms Whear’s home at Dungay.
Police established a crime scene before the vehicle was recovered and taken for forensic and mechanical examination.
Several personal belongings believed to belong to the 73-year-old were also recovered, but Ms Whear was not inside the vehicle and remains missing.
Ms Whear was last seen on February 19 after visiting Murwillumbah.
Her vehicle was captured on CCTV travelling north along Queensland Road towards Dungay at about 3.20pm.
Her daughter, Gillian Hallac, said the discovery of the car had intensified the family’s concerns about what may have happened.
‘So finding the car where it was has reinforced what I’ve felt all along,’ Ms Hallac told the ABC.
The vehicle was reportedly located using sonar equipment by independent search group Sun State Search after Ms Whear’s family identified the stretch of river as an area of interest.
Police have previously said investigators have found no evidence that Ms Whear intended to disappear voluntarily.
The Echo reported during Missing Persons Week in August that extensive searches had already been carried out around Dungay and Murwillumbah using drones, helicopters, boats, sonar equipment, trail bikes and ground crews.
Police investigations are continuing and anyone with information about Ms Whear’s disappearance is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
