Miracle as mysterious jawbone that washed up on an Australian beach a decade ago is proven to belong to a sailor lost at sea 40 years ago – and the breakthrough is thanks to his jailbird nephew
- Jawbone washed up on Kingscliff Beach, on New South Wales coast, in 2011
- DNA testing revealed it belonged to William John Moran who died at sea in 1979
- Mr Moran was on cabin cruiser with four other people before it was hit by a gale
- Two people perished and the three remaining crew were saved by helicopter
A jawbone that washed up on a beach a decade ago belongs to a mariner who disappeared at sea in 1979.
DNA testing has confirmed the jawbone belongs to William John Moran, after it washed up at Kingscliff Beach, near the New South Wales and Queensland border, in 2011.
Mr Moran, 24, and his wife Philippa Moran, 21, were two of five people onboard their cabin cruiser on September 23, 1979.
William Moran, 24, and his wife Philippa Moran, 21, were two of five people onboard their cabin cruiser on September 23, 1979
The pair perished in the storm while the three remaining crew members were rescued by helicopter (pictured, police search following the accident)
The vessel was caught in a gale and lashed by 100km/h winds and 10-metre high seas before it sank.
The pair perished in the storm while the three remaining crew members were rescued by helicopter.
A jawbone washed up on shore 31 years later, stumping authorities on who it belonged to.
NSW Police and NSW Health Pathology tried to pair the bone with the DNA database on the Missing Person’s Registry, though without luck.
Then the jawbone was cross-referenced with a familial DNA search, which can be used to identify potential biological relatives.
The DNA in the jawbone was linked to a 34-year-old male who had been imprisoned in Goulburn jail.
He was identified as the nephew of Mr Moran, which finally helped authorities to connect the dots.
Police returned the jawbone to Mr Moran’s family and say it ‘has brought closure after decades of searching for answers.’
William and Philippa Moran perished after their boat was caught in a gale in September, 1979