Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents.

If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre.

For suggested phone numbers for confidential support and for a more detailed list of content

warnings, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website.

It was a windy Sunday night on October 6, 1974, as two Queensland police officers drove

along the forest that roads to Yucanavale Youth Camp. They were greeted by the camp's caretakers,

who appeared flustered. For the past half hour, their remote and peaceful surroundings had

been intermittently disturbed by a frightening noise. The officers listened. A few minutes later,

they heard it for themselves. Blood-curdling screams. For the first time in officer Ian Hamilton's

career, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He had never heard such a horrendous and terrifying

sound. It didn't seem like the screams were coming from just one person either.

The difference in pitch indicated there were at least two women screaming for help.

Like the caretakers, the officers couldn't determine what direction the screams were coming from.

The Yucanavale Youth Camp was situated on the uphill section of the Tuwumba range,

about halfway between the inland city of Tuwumba and the rural town of Withkord.

This mountainous location, mixed with the blustery winds, meant the origin of the screams kept

changing. One minute had sounded like they were coming from the top of the range,

the next had sounded like they were coming from the east.

After 40 frustrating minutes helplessly listening to the distorted screams echo around them,

everything went quiet. The officers drove up and down the range on the look out for anyone in

trouble. Every now and then they stopped and got out to see if the screams had started up again,

but they were met with silence.

...