The search for missing Australian tourist Sally Grace Contarino has drawn widespread support across Las Vegas, with police, volunteers and online communities working together to locate the 26-year-old traveler.
Contarino disappeared during a solo vacation after she failed to board her scheduled flight home to Australia on June 21. Since then, investigators have continued piecing together her final known movements while hundreds of people have joined efforts to uncover new leads.
The Search for the Missing Australian Tourist Expands Across the Las Vegas Community
The search for the missing Australian tourist Sally Grace Contarino has evolved into one of Las Vegas’ most closely followed missing-person investigations in recent years. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Contarino was last captured on surveillance video at approximately 1:02 p.m. on June 20 after leaving Smith’s Marketplace in the Skye Canyon area.
Authorities said she was seen walking toward the nearby mountains before beginning what investigators believe was a hike in the Mount Charleston area. Police have continued searching the area while following several investigative leads. Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage, digital evidence, and witness accounts to establish Contarino’s exact route.
Her sisters, Lauren and Amy Contarino, have since traveled from Australia to Las Vegas, where they are working alongside investigators and volunteer search teams. Family members have repeatedly appealed to the public for information that could help locate the missing traveler.
Meanwhile, the case has generated significant attention across social media, with thousands of people sharing updates, maps and surveillance images in hopes of assisting authorities.
Her Final Known Movements Continue to Guide Investigators
Investigators believe Contarino, an experienced traveler and avid hiker, spent much of June 19 exploring Lone Mountain before returning to the Bungalows Hostel, where she had been staying during her visit.
Authorities said one of the earliest confirmed sightings came on June 17, when a social media content creator filmed himself approaching Contarino outside a 7-Eleven on Boulder Highway. Per Reallasvegaslocals, she politely declined his request for her phone number before walking away. Police have said the individual is not considered a suspect.
The following morning, Contarino reportedly had breakfast at a nearby café before traveling toward Mount Charleston for another hike. Investigators later determined she never returned to the hostel. Her luggage remained behind, while the bus ticket she had purchased for Los Angeles, where she planned to catch her flight back to Australia, was never used.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has since recovered her belongings from the hostel and deployed search teams, including K-9 units, to areas where she may have traveled. Authorities continue asking anyone who may have encountered Contarino or possesses photos, videos, or other relevant information from June 20 to contact investigators.
Volunteers Join Las Vegas Search Effort
Beyond the official investigation, members of the Las Vegas community have organized extensive volunteer efforts to support the search. Residents have reviewed older dashcam recordings, searched hiking routes around Mount Charleston, examined possible footprints, and used drones to scan difficult terrain. Others have shared photographs, hiking maps, and timelines online that they believe could assist investigators.
The collaborative effort has grown internationally, with online communities in both Australia and the United States analyzing publicly available information while encouraging anyone with firsthand knowledge to contact law enforcement rather than speculate publicly.
As the search enters another week, authorities say establishing Contarino’s movements after she left the Skye Canyon area remains the central focus of the investigation. Family members have continued urging the public to share verified information with investigators in hopes that new evidence will help bring answers.
