The last “ping” from a missing 17-year-old boy’s mobile phone has prompted authorities to search an area of bushland in Perth’s south-eastern suburbs — but there has still been no trace of the teenager.
More than 80 people — mainly State Emergency Services volunteers as well as police, Department of Fire, St John WA and Emergency Services personnel — spent Tuesday combing bushland in Mt Richon for Richard Tu.
“We’ve covered probably about five square kilometres of area around where we believe the last ping was from Richard’s phone,” Fremantle District Inspector Steve Scott said.
“Unfortunately, at this stage we have been unable to locate any trace of him.”
Aerial searches looked beyond that area from the sky, but to no avail.
“They’ve gone far wider than the foot search has gone along tracks and trails, but unfortunately as I’ve said there’s no trace of Richard at this location,” Insp. Scott said.
The inspector said the last ping of Richard’s phone was around 11pm, two hours after he got off the 529 bus in Armadale on March 31.
It is believed the teen walked the roughly 4km from the bus stop to the area where his phone last pinged.
Police and his family say there is nothing they’ve discovered so far linking him to the area, which is near the Schoenstatt Shrine.
“That has been something we’ve been trying to understand and they (the family) are trying to understand,” Insp. Scott said.
He said the search of the area will be suspended by 5pm, and there will be “no further physical searches without further information as to where Richard might be . . . such as items of clothing”.
Richard’s sister Rachel Tu thanked those helping the search and the broader community for their “outpour of help and support”.
“The community has reached out a lot and helped us and we’re so grateful, and we’re so thankful,” she said.
Through tears, with family by her side, she renewed calls for anyone with any information to come forward.
“Richard is still missing. We’re really worried. He’s out there alone, all by himself. We just want him to come home,” she said.
“If anyone’s seen anything or heard anything, or knows of anything at all, even if you don’t think it helps, please let us know.”
It has been eight days since the 17-year-old went missing.
Richard was last seen getting off the 529 bus on Armadale Road after Seville Drive about 9.15pm on March 31.
He boarded the bus at Cockburn station 15 minutes earlier, paying cash for his ticket.
Police say the teenager has access to a “reasonably small amount of money”, believed to be accessible via his phone or online.
Insp. Scott said officers were continuing to review Public Transport Authority footage and other CCTV to see whether they can glean any further information about Richard’s whereabouts.
“I’d like to reinforce that information from the public is crucial in our efforts to try and find Richard,” he said.
“We have had some information come forward, and I greatly thank the community for that information to date.
“But again, I ask if you have any information that might assist us, please contact police.”
