A desperate search for a missing young magician has ended in heartbreak.
Australian performer Daniel Hidden, 26, was found dead in bushland at Mount Cougal National Park in Queensland’s Currumbin Valley on Wednesday — 10 days after he mysteriously vanished from his Gold Coast home.
Hidden was last seen leaving his Broadbeach home around 3 a.m. on June 14 in a silver Hyundai Santa Fe while towing a Galaxy caravan, police said.
His sudden disappearance immediately sparked concern, with authorities describing it as out of character. His phone was reportedly switched off about three hours after he was last seen, adding to the alarm.
Two days later, police found Hidden’s vehicle and caravan parked at a car park. That discovery launched a massive multi-agency search across the rugged area.
Queensland Police said crews spent 10 days scouring the region with help from Polair, drones, police officers and members of the Australian Defence Force.
The search came to a tragic end around 11 a.m. local time on Wednesday, when Hidden’s body was discovered in the national park.
Police said his death is not being treated as suspicious, though investigators are still looking into the circumstances surrounding what happened.
Acting Inspector Brett Jackson said Hidden’s loved ones were at the scene after the devastating discovery.
“We have the family out on scene and obviously they’re very distraught and our thoughts are with them,” Jackson said.
The heartbreaking ending has left family, friends and fans mourning a young performer whose disappearance had sparked days of fear and desperate searching.
