The children were next seen at a nearby cake shop at approximately 11:45 A.M. Here they purchased sweets, and paid for the treats with a £1 bill. For authorities, this was the first serious clue that something was awry—the children’s parents did not send them off with that much money. Someone must have joined them, and provided the cash.

The final sighting came courtesy of a local postman who was familiar with the Beaumont family. He claimed he saw the children at approximately 3 P.M. walking along Jetty Road, away from the beach. According to this witness, the Beaumont siblings appeared in good spirits; the youngsters even stopped to say hi. Authorities did not suspect the postman of misleading them. Yet they were puzzled by the late-afternoon timestamp, as it clashed with the order of prior sightings. They considered the possibility that the postman had misremembered the time of his sighting, and that it actually occurred earlier in the day.

In either case, after postman’s reported encounter, the children's trail went cold.

Related: Face on the Milk Carton: What Happened to Johnny Gosch?

The disappearance of the Beaumont children stunned Australia, and triggered one of the largest missing persons investigations in the nation’s history. Drowning was ruled out, as all their belongings were also missing. An appeal from Jim Beaumont was broadcast on national TV. Authorities followed every lead, but every lead led to nowhere.

Even paranormal investigators were called in for assistance. Gerard Croiset, a renowned Dutch parapsychologist and psychic, was flown to Australia from the Netherlands. His visit caused a media circus. Croiset claimed his sixth sense led him to a warehouse where he believed the bodies were buried. The warehouse’s owners, reluctant at first to participate, finally raised $40,000 to have the building demolished. An excavation commenced, but no bodies were found.

The Mysterious Disappearance of the Beaumont Children

Get our eeriest tales and best book deals delivered straight to your inbox.

Follow Us

More from

Corporate

© 2021 OPEN ROAD MEDIA