ID :
130501
Tue, 06/29/2010 - 23:04
Auther :

Body of Perth woman found in Ecuador

The body of Perth woman Millie Johnston has been recovered in Ecuador after she fell
to her death in a ravine while on a quad bike tour of waterfalls.
Ms Johnston's parents Greg and Lainey only returned from Ecuador in recent days
after travelling there to join the search for their daughter.
A memorial service for the 25-year-old will go ahead in Perth as planned on Friday.
An uncle who remained in Ecuador to help in the search for the missing teacher is
expected to accompany her remains back to Australia.
Ms Johnston went missing on June 9 during a trip to view waterfalls.
The quad bike she was on plunged 150 metres into a ravine in Banos, in the Andes
Mountains, about 300km south of the Ecuadorean capital Quito.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said on Tuesday that Ms
Johnston's body had been positively identified from dental records after being
retrieved from the Pastaza River on Monday.
"We recognise the extraordinary efforts of the community in Banos and surrounding
areas, and the many, mostly volunteer, organisations that have participated in the
search for Ms Johnston."
Australia's consul in Santiago, Chile had flown to the area to assist family members
during the search along with the honorary consul in Ecuador.
On Monday, Mr Johnston told ABC Radio he believed the river would give up his
daughter's body one day and provide the closure the family desired.
The body of a British man, Anthony Prowell, 26, who had been travelling with Ms
Johnston, was found earlier this month.
Ms Johnston was four months into a two-year trip through South America when the
accident happened.

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