A 48-hour search for an elderly man who disappeared after leaving a regional Victorian pub has ended in a rare positive outcome, with rescuers confirming he was discovered alive and conscious, albeit trapped inside his crashed vehicle off a remote Australian highway.
Jacobus Bakkum, widely known by the nickname John, went missing on Sunday following a routine visit to the Harrietville Hotel, located in Victoria’s scenic High Country, alongside his wife. After finishing their outing, the pair made separate trips home: Bakkum’s wife opted to walk the short 500-meter route to their residence, while Bakkum chose to drive his vehicle. When she arrived hours earlier, however, her husband never showed up, triggering an immediate missing person report to local authorities.
Victoria Police launched an urgent, widespread search operation for the missing man shortly after the report was filed, and even issued public appeals asking for any information from community members who may have spotted Bakkum or his vehicle over the two-day period. The search wrapped up just before midday local time on Tuesday, when a passer-by spotted Bakkum’s 2007 Toyota Prado stuck down an embankment off the Omeo Highway near Mitta Mitta — an area roughly two hours’ drive from the Harrietville Hotel, a surprising distance given the short trip Bakkum was expected to make.
Investigating officers confirmed that the vehicle had veered off the road and crashed into the embankment, leaving Bakkum trapped inside the wreckage for nearly two full days. Despite being stranded in the crashed car for more than 48 hours, Bakkum was found alive and responsive when first responders reached him. He has since been transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, and is set to be reunited with his worried family in the coming days.
“It appears he was involved in a single vehicle crash in Mitta Mitta some time over the last two days and has been located this morning, just after 11.30am, in Mitta Mitta,” Victoria Police shared in an official statement following the discovery. “His vehicle was located by a passer-by down an embankment just off Omeo Highway. He will be transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and will be reunited with his family. Police would like to thank media and the public for their assistance.”
As of Tuesday, authorities have not yet confirmed the exact timing of the crash, though unconfirmed sightings of a vehicle matching Bakkum’s description were reported in the nearby Biggara area as late as Monday morning.