Police believe a body discovered close to where she was last seen likely belongs to a woman who went missing six days ago after leaving her home to go for a bushwalk.
Georgina (Gina) Rickard, 58, a volunteer with the NSW Rural Fire Service, was last seen on August 30 at her Brook Road residence in Glenbrook, in the NSW Blue Mountains.
In a statement posted online on Wednesday, NSW Police said Georgina’s disappearance was highly unusual and that her husband Brendan and two children were worried about her welfare.
Georgina Rickard, an RFS volunteer who was 58 years old, was discovered dead six days after going missing while out hiking in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. When a body was discovered nearby where she was last seen, police believe it to be her.
Police believed she had gone for a walk in the nearby woods before disappearing.
She was last spotted with a backpack while sporting white socks, a blue T-shirt, and black and white tracksuit bottoms.
A body was discovered at Glenbrook on Sunday around 3 o’clock after extensive searching by volunteers, local police, SES, the Rural Fire Service, and the former three agencies.
Although the body has not yet been publicly recognized, Ms. Rickard is thought to be in it.
Georgina was last seen carrying a bag, wearing black and white tracksuit bottoms tucked into white socks, a blue t-shirt, and a hat, according to a photo issued by NSW Police after she vanished.
After Ms. Rickard was reported missing, the neighborhood mounted a major search for her.
She volunteered with Glenbrook Lapstone Rural Fire Brigade, which issued numerous informational requests.
You have information that we need if you spoke to or saw Gina Rickard (Smith) over the last two days—a probable sighting or a discussion. It’s important to report, even if you believe the incident is unimportant or others may have already reported the same incident, the fire station stated on Facebook.
Please refrain from making assumptions about Gina’s disappearance, the people involved, or the motivations behind her Wednesday morning entrance into the NP. Whenever you comment on this misadventure, courtesy and kindness are appreciated.
You might not be aware of it, but Gina plays a significant role in our community and is a close friend to some members of our brigade. Her kids and we both have access to messages and comments posted on shares of this post!
Gina has blonde hair with waves that are longer than her shoulders and may have been dressed in black athletic attire. She frequently travels along Explorers Road from her home in Brook Rd to Glenbrook village and stops at Con’s Deli before beginning a bushwalk in the National Park.
Gina (pictured with husband Brendan) was last seen at her Brook Road home in Glenbrook on August 30