Families of married man and his 'glamour queen' friend who vanished after going on a camping trip break their silence - as police make chilling admission about their disappearance
- Search for disappearance of Victorian pair Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73
- Went camping in Wonnangatta Valley in March and haven't been seen since
- Police suspect a drone may have been taken from the pair's abandoned campsite
- Ms Clay's friends surprised to hear the 'glamour queen' had gone camping
- Comes as Mr Hill's shattered wife admits she doesn't believe he'll be found alive
- Do you know more? Email tips@dailymail.com
The families of a married man and his female friend who went missing while on a camping trip have spoken out about their mysterious disappearance.
Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, went camping in the rugged and remote Wonnangatta Valley in Victoria's Gippsland region on March 19.
An experienced bushman, Mr Hill contacted his wife Robyn via radio the next day but neither he or his female friend have not been seen or heard from since.
Mr Hill's car and the charred remains of a campsite were found near Dry River Creek track at Billabong a week later on March 27.
Police are now refusing to rule out foul play after discovering a number of items were stolen from the campsite, including an expensive drone.
Mrs Hill has already revealed she thought her husband was camping alone.
'At this stage, we're at a loss to say exactly what has happened to Russell and Carol – we don't know if their disappearance is suspicious or not,' Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said on Wednesday.
'The area is incredibly remote and there is a possibility that they have suffered some misadventure in the bush, but we also need to rule out any possibility of foul play.'
Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, (pictured) went camping in the rugged and remote Wonnangatta Valley in Victoria's Gippsland region on March 19
An experienced bushman, Mr Hill (pictured) contacted his wife Robyn via radio the next day but neither he or his female friend have not been seen or heard from since
Police suspect a number of items may have been taken from the campsite (pictured, including a drone which is now missing - and have refused to rule out foul play
The Hill and Clay families issued a desperate plea on Wednesday for anyone with information about their disappearance to come forward.
'We are deeply saddened that Russell and Carol have been missing for one month now,' the Hill family said.
'It is devastating for our family that we don't know what has happened to them both. We are pleading for anyone who has any information to please come forward.'
Ms Clay's family said they are 'very shocked' and worried and asked for anyone with any knowledge at all of their whereabouts.
'Their disappearance is very out of character as they were well prepared and travelling in country which was well known to Russell Hill,' their statement read.
'This is a very difficult time for our family. We are living with uncertainty, loss and the continual stress of not knowing where they are and what has happened.
The search for the missing campers is continuing, police are now appealing to the community help to find them.
Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said they were at a loss to say exactly what has happened to the pair.
He said they may have had a misadventure in the bush or they may have been met with 'foul play'.
Friends of devoted grandmother Carol Clay (pictured right) were surprised to learn she had gone camping with one close friend describing her as a glamour queen
Investigators suspect a number of items may have been taken from the campsite, including a drone that belonged to Mr Hill.
Another possibly police are considering that Mr Hill crashed the drone, worth about $2,000, and left his camp to look for it.
Despite the new leads of inquiry, Mr Hill's shattered wife of 50 years has lost hope that he will return home and has started packing up his belongings.
'I don't think that he will still be alive,' Robyn Hill told Daily Mail Australia from the couple's Drouin home on Monday.
She had no idea her husband had gone camping with another woman.
Ms Clay's closest friends were also surprised to learn out she had gone camping.
Mr Hill (above) had recently retired and was an experienced outdoorsman who reportedly knew the remote Alpine region of the Gippsland well
'She was a glamour queen really,' friend of 15 years Dorothy Coombe told A Current Affair on Tuesday night.
'She always looks gorgeous and well-dressed.
'For many people, they couldn't imagine her out in the bush, let alone anything befalling her.'
Ms Coombe is baffled by the disappearance of the devoted grandmother and former Victorian President of the Country Women's Association.
'She was a tremendous friend,' Ms Coombe said.
'She was one of those people who would cook you dinner and drop it around.'
Police are examining the possibility the pair disappeared of their own free will, while the scenario they met with foul play has not been ruled out.
A burnt out campsite was found in remote bushland in Victoria's Wonnangatta Valley
The pair went missing in the Wonnangatta Valley, more than 200km north east of Melbourne
'Something clearly has gone awry. We know that something has gone awry,' Ms Coombe said.
There is also a possibility the pair's disappearance may never be solved.
'It's now the role of the police to try and give the families in particular, answers. But at the end of the day, there might not be any,' former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina said.
Local cattleman Bruce McCormack, who has been involved in countless searches said the abandoned campsite was near dense bushland where you would 'never find them'.
'It's sort of a great open area in the middle of the Alpine National Park,' he said.
The pair's burnt out campsite with Mr Hill's car parked beside it (pictured) was found in a remote area of bushland in Victoria's Wonnangatta Valley on March 27
Ms Clay (above) was Victorian President of the Country Women's Association and known for beautiful, elegant clothing
As detectives prepare to take another look at the Toyota 4WD Mr Hill left abandoned at the scene, Mrs Hill insists her husband had never gone missing before this trip.
'He's always been on the radio. He didn't call for quite a few days and then I started to get worried and thought 'I've got to do something now', 'she told Daily Mail Australia.
Mrs Hill said her husband would routinely broadcast at the same time every night when his other radio chums were on the air.
'They all get on at the same time and once I heard Russell I knew, on the Friday, that he was fine. But then I didn't hear him again.'
Mr Hill's car (pictured) has been returned to his home in Drouin where specialist detectives hope to examine it again for further clues
