"People don't vanish": Police step up search for missing teen

The search for 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop has entered its second week, as Queensland Police continue to investigate her suspicious disappearance from Bundaberg.

Pheobe was last seen on May 15, when her housemates claimed they dropped her off at Bundaberg Regional Airport around 8:30am. She was due to fly to Western Australia via Brisbane to visit her boyfriend, but police have since confirmed that she never entered the airport terminal or boarded her flight.

Detectives have declared two active crime scenes: the Gin Gin home where Pheobe lived with a couple, and a grey Hyundai ix35 believed to have transported her to the airport. Investigators are combing both locations for clues.

“Police have reviewed CCTV from the airport, which indicates that she did not enter the terminal,” said Detective Acting Inspector Ryan Thompson during a press conference. “This is a suspicious disappearance, and we’re treating it very seriously.”

While no arrests have been made, police are speaking with individuals who knew Pheobe and are appealing to the public for help.

Authorities are specifically requesting dashcam or CCTV footage of the grey Hyundai ix35, Queensland registration 414EW3, in the vicinity of Airport Drive and Samuels Road in Bundaberg, as well as the Gin Gin area on the day Pheobe vanished.

“You may have the small piece of information that leads us to finding Pheobe,” said Thompson. “People don’t vanish – someone knows something, and we’re urging anyone with information to come forward immediately.”

Pheobe’s family has distributed more than 400 missing person flyers across Bundaberg and Gin Gin and have been conducting their own searches through local rivers and bushland.

She is described as being approximately 180cm tall, with a pale complexion, long dyed red hair, and hazel eyes. She was last seen carrying luggage and wearing a green tank top and grey trackpants.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online via the Queensland Police website.

Images: Queensland Police