Search for missing bushwalker Peter Willoughby comes to a tragic end, months after he vanished

Published: 07:55, 31 May 2026 | Updated: 07:58, 31 May 2026 A renewed search for a missing bushwalker has come to a tragic end, eight months after he became separated from his group in dense Tasmanian bushland. Human remains were discovered by a volunteer searcher in the Eagle Hawk Tier area in Underwood, north of Launceston on Saturday.  The remains are believed to be of missing bushwalker Peter Willoughby, 76, who was  last seen in Hollybank area on October 5 last year. Severe weather in the area around the time the Scottsdale local went missing halted progress, and did not allow for helicopter or drone resources to assist in the search.  'The volunteer contacted police immediately after the discovery,' Tasmania Police Inspector Aleena Crack said. Alex Smith from Find Our Lost Loved Ones, one of the search organisers, got a call to come to the base camp, where he was advised that human remains had been found. 'We had [Mr Willoughby's] relatives there,' he told the ABC.  'It's this grief and relief mixed together. It was just really good to be there to help.' Human remains believed to be of Peter Willoughby (pictured) were discovered by volunteer searches in the Eagle Hawk Tier area, north of Launceston on Saturday. Human remains were discovered by a volunteer searcher during a renewed search on Saturday. Pictured are police during a previous search Volunteer searcher Paul Helleman added: 'It's a bittersweet thing really … the whole case is sad of course.' 'But there's also a bit of jubilation I guess because it brings closure to the family.' The latest search on the weekend involved 50 volunteers.   When Mr Willoughby first went missing, police, ambulance and SES rescue resources were heavily involved in the search. But it was unsafe for the use of helicopter or drone resources due to poor weather. Inspector Crack added there was still work to be done before Mr Willoughby's family could finally get closure.  'Forensic testing is yet to be completed, however at this stage we can confirm the remains appear to be an adult human male,' she said. 'We understand how distressing this development may be for his loved ones, and while everyone involved hopes it will help to provide answers, formal forensic analysis is required before we can determine whether the remains belong to Peter. 'Our thoughts are with Mr Willoughby's family and loved ones.' A report will be prepared for the coroner.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.