Search continues for woman missing in outback Queensland

Richard Dinnen - Queensland Editor | October 24, 2022

A land and air search is continuing in outback Queensland for a 19-year-old woman missing for a week.

Tea Wright-Finger was last seen in the Richmond area on October 16, driving a blue Toyota Prado on Coalbrook Road.

The search is focussed on the Flinders River area close to the Richmond township, based on information from Tea’s mobile phone which was briefly switched on the morning of October 18.

SES volunteers are using an off-road buggy and vehicle to search tracks and areas of thick vegetation on the river banks as well as a neighbouring rural property.

A helicopter is searching areas north of Richmond and down to the southern boundary of Blackbraes National Park.

Yesterday, it covered more than 700 kilometres, including Cloncurry, Four Ways, and Julia Creek.

Richmond is about 500 kilometres west of Townsville and 400 kilometres east of Mount Isa.

Inspector Damien Crosby said Tea is understood to have a residential address in the Northern Territory and some connections with the Queensland city of Bundaberg.

“Tea was employed in the pastoral industry, and she did have some connections to some local stations in the Richmond area.

“Our priority is to locate Tea safe and well. We will continue to search in that Richmond area until we are given information to the contrary.

“We are concerned for Tea’s welfare, we would like to locate her as soon as possible to ensure that she is safe and well.”

Anyone who has seen Tea or the blue 2013 Toyota Prado 4WD with Queensland registration 210-TLA is urged to immediately contact police as concerns are held for her safety and well-being.