A fresh sighting has prompted police to expand the search area for a 24-year-old woman missing in "heavily forested" bush terrain in West Gippsland, while also saying it is possible she may not want to be found.
Lucinda Miller was last seen at 11am on Sunday when she was dropped off on a track 2.5 kilometres from her home by a rideshare driver in Neerim South, about 110km east of Melbourne.
The original search focused on the bush between the drop-off point and her home but had been expanded after someone came forward yesterday afternoon to report a possible sighting of Ms Miller several kilometres to the south on Monday.
"We're talking to all property owners in that area, checking all the rivers, creeks, roadways, tracks," Victoria Police Inspector Peter Fusinato said.
"So any property owners ... be mindful that she may have wandered onto your properties and we just ask if you could check all your buildings or outbuildings just make sure that no-one has either been there or Lucinda is still located within your property."
Inspector Fusinato said about 30 people were involved in the search today, including crews with search and rescue dogs, down from about 50 yesterday.
Police have interviewed the rideshare driver but said they did not have evidence to suggest the driver or anyone else was involved.
Search to continue
Inspector Fusinato said it was possible Ms Miller may not want to come home.
"She may be missing of her own volition or unfortunately has .. hurt herself. We're not quite sure," he said.
"But we're working on the theory that Lucinda may not want the family to know she'd come home.
"We're exploring all those avenues and at this stage, we really have no answers in regards to what her intentions were.
"We're just working on the fact she's missing and we're going to continue to try and find her."
Inspector Fusinato said the search would continue tomorrow.
"We've had a survivability assessment done, the time frames for that if she doesn't have food and water, probably have passed," he said.
"We've spoken to the family in regards to that, they're very aware of that situation.
"As far as the ongoing investigation, whilst we haven't located Lucinda, that will be ongoing in different formats, which we will continue to work hard on until we feel that we've exhausted every option."
Ms Miller was last seen wearing a pair of pink pants, a white top, green jumper, beanie, scarf and face mask.
