POLICE divers made the grim discovery of a body near a creek at Lake Macquarie on Friday afternoon, marking a tragic end to a large-scale search for a missing woman.
Specialist police resources and emergency service volunteers had been scouring Glenrock State Conservation Area for any sign of 63-year-old Vicki Davey for three days and two nights.
Lake Macquarie Inspector Anita Kruse confirmed divers had found a body near a creek bank at Kahibah during the search effort at about 12pm on May 3.
The body had not been formally identified when recovered from the nature reserve on Friday afternoon, but police believed they had found the woman they had been searching for.
"Not what we were hoping for and certainly not for the family," Inspector Kruse said.
"My sympathy goes out to the family, we're thinking of them at this very difficult time."
Ms Davey had told her partner about lunchtime on Wednesday that she was going for a walk at Glenrock, and was not heard from again.
A multi-agency search from the land and sky was launched at about 9pm that night.
Police discovered Ms Davey's vehicle and phone in a carpark off Burwood Road at the start of the Yuelerbah Walking Track.
A Police Rescue command post was set up and emergency services swarmed the area in an urgent attempt to find Ms Davey as they battled heavy rain and cold conditions overnight on Wednesday and Thursday.
Volunteers, police officers and members of the public going about their normal routines helped comb walking tracks and bushland at Glenrock State Conservation Area.
The PolAir helicopter backed on-the-ground crews from above, hovering low over the nature reserve and searching further up and down the coast.
The police dog squad, horseback unit, mountain and trail bikes, divers, rescue officers and an ATV were deployed to Lake Macquarie as part of the search operation.
Police were supported by crews from the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), Rural Fire Service (RFS) and National Parks and Wildlife, who carried out line searches in dense bushland.
"I also just wanted to thank all the volunteers that have come and assisted with the search over the last three days, from a number of organisations, and also the general public that have come and assisted," Inspector Kruse said.
Police made multiple public appeals for information during the search and sent out a geo-targeted text message after the alarm was raised that Ms Davey was missing.
She confirmed the police investigation had wrapped up at Glenrock and the nature reserve remained open to the public.
Police were in the early stages of piecing together how the tragedy unfolded on Friday.
It's understood Ms Davey suffered a medical condition which needed attention, and had been involved in one incident of a similar nature in the past 12 months.
Police believed she was familiar with the Glenrock State Conservation Area.
A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.
