Donald Govan
A MISSING Linton teenager who disappeared from a Murray River campsite on Saturday was given breakfast by an Echuca woman on Sunday, police say.
Donald Govan, 16, was camping with friends and was last seen near the camp site on the River Track, about one kilometre north of Brand Road, around 8.30pm.
He was wearing a black t-shirt with a “Flight Path” logo on the front, white board shorts and black runners.
Police, SES and search and rescue units have conducted grid searches in and around the campsite and on the banks of the Murray River without success.
Yesterday, a police spokesperson said a “local resident” believed she gave Donald breakfast on Sunday morning.
“The woman has told police that a youth, matching Donald’s description, spoke to her at around 10.30am saying that he had spent the night in the bush and that he was intending to travel to Bendigo,” the spokesperson said.
“Police believe that this new information is credible and have widened their search to include the Bendigo region.”
Donald’s sisters, Jacinta Jackson and Rachael O’Keane, travelled along the highways to Echuca yesterday in an emotional search for their missing brother.
Ms Jackson said the news about the 15-year-old’s encounter with the Echuca woman had lifted their spirits.
“At least we know he’s out of the bush,” she said.
“If he went to that woman for food, we know he hasn’t given up.”
The 17-year-old said her brother’s disappearance had postponed her upcoming 18th birthday party celebrations and another sister was due to give birth any day.
She said Donald had a large family, all of whom wanted their baby brother home.
“He’s got so many people who are missing him,” she said.
“He needs to come home and he needs to be there for the birth of his sister’s baby.”
Ms Jackson said she had “no clue” as to why her brother would run away and said he had never done anything like this before.
“There’s no plan for tomorrow, we’re just going to hope for the best and keep searching like we have been until we find him,” she said last night.
Donald is described as Caucasian, 173 centimetres tall, slim build, shaggy light brown hair and wearing a spacer earring.
Anyone with information can call triple zero immediately.
jordan.oliver@thecourier.com.au
