04-08-2025
Outback community continues to look for Gach Top after belongings recovered, police suspend search
Despite authorities suspending their search for a missing 26-year-old, loved ones and volunteers have continued scouring the outback in hopes of finding him.
Gach Top has been missing since Monday evening, July 28, with his vehicle found about 14.5 kilometres west of Alice Springs on Tuesday morning.
His family said some of Mr Top's belongings were recovered earlier, and that discovery was now guiding search efforts.
Over five days, police and emergency services scoured 500 square kilometres of outback landscape looking for any sign of the 26-year-old man.
On Saturday evening, authorities suspended their efforts and handed the matter over to NT Police Southern Crime Division for further investigation.
Following that decision, the south Sudanese community in Alice Springs — including members of Mr Top's family — called out for volunteers on social media to continue looking.
"We understand that the emergency team already did their very best but we feel that, as a community, we want to be a part of that joint effort."
On Monday morning, a group of 25 volunteers stood together and prayed at John Flynn's Grave — where Mr Top's car was found — along Larapinta Drive and through rugged terrain, before landing back at the police search site.
They made their way along a red dirt road and into the hills, wearing bright coloured clothing with hats and boots.
When the volunteers entered the undulating grassy flat, they quickly faded into the landscape — demonstrating how hard it would be to locate a person in this terrain.
Mr Top's mother Nyalam Top, translated through Mr Kong, said she hoped God would guide the search for her missing son.
She was upset Mr Gach had disappeared at such a young age, soon after she had arrived in Australia.
Ms Top thanked the volunteers, media and emergency services for their help and prayed for the search party's protection while scouring the outback.
Local Larapinta Trail guide Conrad McKee used his public holiday to assist with the volunteer-led search.
"Every set of eyes and ears is good for the cause."
Chuol Gai, a family friend and fellow member of the south Sudanese community, also volunteered in the search.
He said the community had "come together to go and have a look for themselves".
"Maybe we could be lucky to locate him," he said.
"We, South Sudanese here in Alice Springs, we are all related to one another and most of us speak the same language."
Mr Gai described the missing man as one of the most "brilliant and talented" young people he knew.
"To us, [his disappearance] doesn't make sense at all."
Another volunteer helping search on Monday, Stephen Biliew, said "police did their job" but Alice Springs locals still wanted to help in any way they could.
