A 31-year-old mother whose body was discovered on a beach four days after she was last seen had made an emotional appeal for help the previous year as she tried to create a safer, more stable home for her son.
Emergency services were called shortly after 8am on Tuesday when a member of the public found the body of Payge Leembruggen near the Mackay Harbour North Wall.
Ms Leembruggen was last seen at Apollo Hair salon on Celeber Drive in Andergrove at about 8.55am on September 11.
Queensland Police said she had not been formally reported missing before her body was located. Officers are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death, including its cause.
In a Facebook post shared in June last year and viewed by Daily Mail Australia, Ms Leembruggen said she was hoping to begin again with her son after leaving a relationship she described as involving domestic violence.
‘I am a single mother of a three-year-old boy with special needs,’ she wrote in a Mackay private-rental group.
‘I am preferably looking for a two-bedroom home, although I would still be extremely grateful for a one-bedroom place.’
‘I recently left a bad DV relationship and lost everything. Our current living situation is not ideal, but at least we have a roof over our heads. We would love somewhere we could call home.’
Payge Leembruggen, 31, was found dead on Tuesday. She leaves behind her five-year-old son, who a close friend said ‘was her world’
Emergency crews were called to the beach at Mackay Harbour at about 8am on Tuesday
A friend of Ms Leembruggen said the connection she shared with her son was deeply special and could not be replaced
Her friend Safiira Shah has launched a GoFundMe to support Ms Leembruggen’s five-year-old son, whom she described as a non-verbal child with autism and additional special needs.
‘He was her world. The strength he has already shown is incredible, although the road ahead is one no child should have to face,’ Ms Shah said.
‘He is a bright and affectionate boy, but the bond he shared with his mother can never be replaced. It is an incredibly heartbreaking reality for any child.’
Ms Shah said the boy would be looked after by his great-grandparents and grandmother. Money raised through the fundraiser will help cover his specialist care and reduce the financial strain he may face in the years ahead.
In the fundraiser, she also paid tribute to Ms Leembruggen, describing her friend as ‘one of the most loving and empathetic’ people she’s ever met.
‘She was always one to put others’ needs before her own,’ Ms Shah said.
‘She was as selfless as she was a beacon of light to those who had the pleasure of her friendship and knowing her mood-changing laughter.’
It comes as Queensland Police continue to investigate Ms Leembruggen’s death after officers said she would travel from her Mount Jukes home, where she lived with family and her son, into Mackay to ‘take up with associates’.
Police have appealed for information about her disappearance and death
She was last seen at Apollo Hair salon on Celeber Drive at approximately 8.55am on Sept 11
Police published an appeal on Wednesday for information from anyone who may have seen her between September 11 and 15, or who may have information that could assist the investigation.
‘We’re trying to fill a four-day gap at this time and that’s why we’re seeking information from members of the public,’ Mackay Whitsunday District Detective Inspector Emma Novosel said.
‘The area where Payge’s body was located, I understand, is quite dense and difficult to navigate.’
Detective Inspector Novosel said an autopsy had been scheduled which would help determine the cause of death and added it was too early to confirm whether Ms Leembruggen died at the beach or had been moved to the location.
‘We always treat an unexplained death as suspicious until proven otherwise,’ she said, confirming the family of Ms Leembruggen were ‘understandably’ distressed.
‘Our thoughts are really with the family. We’re assisting them as much as we can.
‘The beach is safe for everyone to use, we’ve got no concerns about the safety of the general public and using that area.’
Ms Leembruggen is described as Caucasian, about 178cm tall and with brown hair. She was last seen wearing a white top, bright red trousers and a red bow in her hair.
Anyone with information that can assist with investigations is urged to contact police.
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– READ MORE: Horror as young Aussie mum is found dead on the beach after vanishing from Queensland hair salon
