An Irish woman who went missing while hiking in western Australia on Tuesday has been found dead, according to local police.
Fiona Lavelle, 41, set off on a hike in the Hellfire Bay area as temperatures rose to 40C that day.
Concerns were raised by her husband after she failed to make contact with him. A short time later, police found her parked Nissan Navara near the National Park, sparking the search.
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A hunt of the area was carried out by a dedicated team, who discovered the Mayo woman’s body shortly after their search began at the Cape Le Grand National Park.
Ms Lavelle, originally from Achill, emigrated to Australia a number of years ago with her husband John McLoughlin, who is from Islandeady near Castlebar.
Mayo County Councillor Michael McLoughlin told RTE News that the specific details of what happened have yet to be determined. He described Ms Lavelle as a "lovely person," who loved "the outdoor life, especially hiking".
A report is now being prepared for the local coroner and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course. It is expected that her remains will be repatriated to Ireland for a funeral and burial.
Ms Lavelle had been working as a St John WA paramedic, and a spokesperson has since said they are "deeply saddened by the events which unfolded today."
"Our thoughts are with the family and colleagues of our team member," the spokesperson said in a statement to Perth Now.
"Our focus is on supporting our people and the broader St John community.
"We offer our thanks to WA Police, the State Emergency Service and all those who participated in the search."
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