Aaron Payne
A young teacher and aspiring naturalist disappeared while hiking in the Royal National Park. His vehicle was found at a nearby car park. Please contact police, your nearest embassy, or other appropriate officials if you have information that may help in resolving this case.
Details
🧑Identity
Full Name: Aaron Payne
Alternative Name: Unknown
Case Status: Missing
Record ID#: 0148
*The names “Jane Doe” and “John Doe” are English names used when the person’s true name is not known. If used above, the name refers to a person of unknown identity.
🪪 Description
Date of Birth*: 1986
Birthplace: Unknown
Age at the Time: 32
Age Group: 30s
Biological Sex: Male
Hair: Short, Brunette
Eyes: Blue
Skin Complexion: Unknown
Shoe Size: Unknown
Ethnicity: White or Caucasian
Nationality: Australia
Languages Spoken: English
*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.
💪Physical Build
Physical Build: Medium or Slim
Height:
Feet and Inches (ft’ in”)
5’5″ – 5’7″
Centimeters (cm)
165 cm – 170 cm
Weight
Pounds (lbs)
Unknown
Kilograms (kg)
Unknown
👁️ Distinguishing Features
Distinguishing Marks:
- Hearing Aids
Medical Condition: Unknown
Physical Abnormality: Unknown
Dental Condition: Unknown
Scars & Other Marks: Unknown
Piercings: Unknown
Tattoos: Unknown
Other Descriptors: Unknown
👕 Possessions
Clothing
- Navy Blue Shirt
- Beige Shorts
- Dark Hiking Boots
Possessions:
- Backpack
- Headtorch
The Facts
❓Disappearance
Date of the Disappearance*: October 19, 2018
Description: Aaron Payne, a 32-year-old hearing support teacher from Sutherland Shire, Sydney, and a passionate naturalist and hiker, went missing on October 20, 2018, while bushwalking in the Royal National Park near Jibbon Beach, Bundeena, New South Wales, Australia. He was alone, reportedly researching frogs, as the lagoons at Jibbon and Marley Beach are known for frog habitats. The last person to see him was his sister, who saw him leave his home in Engadine, Sydney. His vehicle was found on October 20 in a car park on Beachcomber Avenue near the Coast Track trailhead in Bundeena, suggesting he entered the bushland there. A large-scale search by emergency crews and NSW Police spanned several days but was called off on October 24, 2018, without finding him. Aaron Payne’s whereabouts remain unknown.
*The government notice says he was 172cm, was missing since October 19, and his vehicle was found on October 20 (Link). Most other sources say he was 165-170cm, was missing on October 20, and his vehicle was found on October 22 (AMPR). For this article, we have used the most commonly reported information and noted the differences here. However, please be aware that the publicly known facts in this case are somewhat questionable given the many discrepancies.
Multiple Victims?: No
Rumored or Actual Sightings: Unknown
*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.
🪦Recovery
Date the Body was Recovered: Unknown
Description: Unknown
Possible Signs Of . . . : Unknown
Time of Death: Unknown
Cause of Death: Unknown
Recovered Remains (if partial): Unknown
Suspected Homicide?: Unknown
Multiple Victims?: Unknown
DNA Tested (No Match): Unknown
*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.
🚗 Vehicle
Description: Unknown
License Plate: Unknown
🧑🤝🧑 Key Person(s)
Description: Unknown
Location
Address: Royal National Park, Beachcomber Avenue
City: Bundeena
Province or State: New South Wales
Country: Australia
Postal Code: 2230
Latitude, Longitude: -34.0919553,151.1547984
General Location: Wild Outdoors
More Details
Related Cases:
None
Map of Key Specific Locations:
N/A
Photos
Additional Resources
📓Other Articles:
- Kolimar, E. (2018) ‘NSW Police call off ground search for missing bushwalker Aaron Payne in the Royal National Park’, St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader, 24 October. Link.
- Australian Missing Persons Register, “Aaron Payne”, Link.
- 9News (2018) ‘Search underway for bushwalker missing since Saturday’, 22 October, Link.
- Bundeena Info (2018) “Search for Missing Bushwalker”, 24 October, Link.
🎥Videos:
📻Podcasts:
- N/A
Contact Police
Contact Information — Australia
Agency 🏢
National Missing Persons Coordination Centre (NMPCC)
Phone Number 📞
Emergency Phone Number 🚨
Email Address 📧
IDD Prefix
0011
Country Code
+61
Additional Contacts
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What happened to this guy?? How could he just vanish into thin air? I wonder if anyone is still looking for him.