US authorities are searching for a missing Australian Army soldier who was last seen in freezing conditions on New Year’s Eve.
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New York State police say the soldier, Captain Paul McKay, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Forest rangers and a special response team are conducting the search.
Captain McKay, an Afghanistan veteran, emailed his father from a Best Western motel in Saranac Lake on December 30 to say he was leaving him all his possessions. "In this email...he shared some financial information and some other information that would lead us to believe he didn’t plan on going back,’’ Saranac Lake Police Chief Bruce Nason said.
The 31-year-old Canberra man was last seen walking on railway tracks near Saranac Lake the next day, wearing winter weather clothing and carrying a large backpack.
Police believe Captain McKay could survive the freezing conditions in New York state due to his military training and the clothing worn when he was last seen almost a fortnight ago.
Mr Nason said the winter weather clothing Captain McKay was last seen in was an encouraging sign. ''This coupled with his military training and physical fitness make it likely that he is well-prepared to survive in winter conditions,'' he said.
''[Police] continue to receive information daily from the public regarding missing person Paul McKay.''
Newly released images show Captain McKay, an Afghanistan veteran, at an Albany bus terminal on December 30. From there he reportedly travelled to Saranac Lake and that night emailed his father.
Forest rangers and police conducted a grid search on Friday, with a wider search effort including certified volunteers and two canine teams set to begin this weekend in the US. Police believe Captain McKay was headed for Lake Placid in the state's north.
Captain McKay's LinkedIn page reportedly said, after earlier overseas service, he spent 10 months in Afghanistan until January 2012. It said he was a battle captain on shift at Sorkh Bed Forward Operating Base in October 2011 when an Afghan soldier opened fire on a group of 10 Australian soldiers, killing three and an interpreter, and seriously injuring seven other Australian troops.
The LinkedIn profile has now been removed.
A Defence spokesman confirmed on Friday that it was Captain McKay who had been reported missing in Saranac Lake
with AAP
