The disappearance of a wooden cross dedicated to the memory of a drowned Ballarat man has raised questions about the security of unofficial memorials on public land.
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Aaron Ogg, pictured above, was 30-years-old when he got into trouble and died in the Murray River in 2012, shocking those who knew him.
Wanting a place to remember Aaron, his family decided to hang a cross with a plaque on a tree near the Nuggety Dam in Nerrina as a nod to his love of nature.
However, family members recently discovered the cross had gone missing.
Craig Ogg, Aaron’s uncle, said the family had been left shattered following the discovery.
“We used to call Aaron the barefoot bushman because he loved the outdoors,” Craig said.
“It’s made me feel very angry because his dad, Ian, goes up there and sits there all the time to think.
“I don’t think park rangers would have taken it down.
“I asked a ranger if it was removed and they said no, it was okay where it was.”
To make matters worse, Aaron’s sister, Amy, had flown from Perth to visit the site for the first time just days after the cross vanished this month.
If anyone has any information, message Craig Stevie Ogg on Facebook.
