The Harrietville community is mourning the death of 85-year-old Jacobus “John” Bakkum, whose disappearance earlier this week sparked a major search across Victoria’s High Country before he was found alive but trapped inside his crashed vehicle.
Bakkum was reported missing on Sunday night, August 23, after he failed to return home from the Harrietville Hotel, where he had been having dinner with his wife. As part of their usual routine, his wife walked home while Bakkum drove the short distance to their residence. When she arrived, however, Bakkum and his vehicle were missing.
Concern quickly grew because Bakkum was not known to travel far on his own. Police launched an extensive search involving local officers, the Police Air Wing, SES personnel, family members and friends. Investigators tracked CCTV footage showing his silver Toyota travelling east along the Great Alpine Road and later through Omeo, leading them to believe he may have travelled considerably farther from Harrietville than expected.
Police had described Bakkum as about 170 centimetres tall with a slim build. He walked with a hunched posture, used a walking stick and was unable to walk long distances because he became breathless. At the time of the initial appeal, he was believed to be wearing a checked shirt, vest and pants and possibly a hat
The search ended on Tuesday, August 25, when a passerby discovered Bakkum’s vehicle down an embankment just off the Omeo Highway near Mitta Mitta. He was found trapped inside the vehicle and emergency crews carried out a high-angle rescue before transporting him to hospital. His injuries were initially described as non-life-threatening.
Authorities later confirmed that Bakkum died in a Melbourne hospital on Thursday, August 27, two days after being rescued from the wreckage. Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash, including when and how the vehicle left the roadway.
Bakkum’s disappearance had attracted widespread attention, with police and his family appealing for members of the public to help locate him. His eventual discovery brought initial relief, but that relief was followed by profound sadness after news of his death.
For the Harrietville community, Bakkum was much more than an elderly resident who recently became the subject of a missing-person search. He had deep connections to the region, having moved to Harrietville in 1971. His nephew, Trevor Castricum, described him as an integral part of the community. Bakkum had served as the local postmaster and operated the town’s general store for many years.
His community involvement was recognized by Alpine Shire Council, which awarded him for his contribution to the local community in 2021. Friends and residents are now remembering a man whose life was closely intertwined with Harrietville and the surrounding Alpine communities.
The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation, and authorities have not yet publicly established why Bakkum travelled so far from home or exactly when the collision occurred.
Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash, has relevant information or may have captured footage to contact Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000.
For Bakkum’s wife, family, friends and the wider Harrietville community, his death marks the painful end of a search that had initially offered hope of a safe return.
Jacobus “John” Bakkum was 85. He is being remembered as a longtime Harrietville resident, community volunteer and familiar figure whose contribution to the High Country community spanned decades.
