A coronial investigation into the disappearance of a Kimberley man who went missing during a pig hunting trip in outback Queensland last year is underway.
Jeremiah Rivers's companions say they last saw him walking away from their campsite on the morning of October 18, at Wippo Creek, near Noccundra, in the state's south west.
Weeks later detectives announced his disappearance was being treated as suspicious, but in recent months no new leads have been publicly revealed by police.
The ABC has now confirmed that the Queensland State Coroner referred the case in late March to Coroner Donald McKenzie, who is in the early stages of an investigation.
Queensland Police says a file is being prepared for Mr McKenzie, who can direct police to conduct further investigations and obtain information from those involved.
Mr Rivers' extensive family in Western Australia's East Kimberley has spent months searching the harsh Queensland terrain and is fundraising for further searches.
Aunty Brenda Garstone said family members welcomed the Coroner's investigation after believing "the case had gone cold".
"It felt like we had hit a brick wall, so now we're going to delve in a bit more deeper, hopefully," she said.
"The reality is he's still missing. It's just not acceptable — you can't just move on without knowing the whereabouts of him.
"People can't disappear without an answer.
'There was a life at stake'
The family hopes a potential coronial inquest will scrutinise the initial response from police.
Mr Rivers's companion Jojo Kantilla first alerted a police officer at Noccundra, who opted to escort Mr Kantilla and his friend Matt Moore back across the border into New South Wales.
Police and farmers made inquiries into Mr Rivers's disappearance that afternoon, but the official search did not begin until the following day.
Mr Rivers and his companions had entered Queensland illegally at a time when a hard border was being enforced.
Police have defended the initial response, arguing the officer at Noccundra acted with discretion and compassion by escorting the pair across the border.
Lawyer Dana Levitt is conducting her own investigation into Mr Rivers' disappearance and will represent his family pro bono if the Coroner's investigation leads to an inquest.
She said the circumstances should have seen them detained and questioned in Queensland.
"That strikes me as a strange use of police discretion at a time when A, a missing person should have kicked them into gear and B, they were travelling interstate at a time when borders were very much shut down," Ms Levitt said.
Ms Garstone said the family believed due process was not followed.
"There was a life at stake, there was COVID around," she said.
"They should have had some processes in place.
Queensland Police said detectives were following a number of lines of inquiry and have urged anyone with information to come forward.
