The family of a graphic design influencer whose body was found a month after he vanished without a trace in the Whitsundays have revealed why they hoped he would be found alive.
The body of 40-year-old father-of-two Joel Pringle was found on Tuesday after he went missing from his home in Cannonvale, near Airlie Beach in the north Queensland tourist region, on August 19, just five days after celebrating his 40th birthday.
Pringle’s partner, Eve Houghton, shared the heartbreaking news that his body had been found in a social media post the following day.
Ms Houghton’s mother, Natalie Stockdale, has since opened up about how her daughter has been coping with the shocking loss of her partner.
“She never gave up, she searched tirelessly until the very last day. Along the way, we found signs that gave us hope that he was still alive, but sadly, they turned out to be false, causing our emotions to swing between hope and despair,” Stockdale said. news.com.au.
‘Now that Joel has been found, we thought we would feel some relief, but instead, it is a deep and overwhelming sadness.
“Eva is deeply distraught, as you can imagine, but she is also strong and resilient, with a wisdom that goes far beyond her 28 years.”
She added that her daughter and the couple’s 17-month-old son have been surrounded by a strong support system of family and friends.
The body of graphic designer and father of two Joel Pringle was found last week after he went missing from Cannonvale on August 19.
Mr Pringle and his partner Natalie Stockdale (pictured with their son) moved to the Whitsundays from Melbourne in 2019 after “selling everything” to live on a yacht.
Ms Stockdale also paid heartfelt tribute to her daughter’s partner, describing Mr Pringle as an extraordinary man who had a great sense of humour, was a talented artist and loved his family.
“He considered Eva to be his soul mate. Eva and his two children were his great loves,” he added.
Mr Pringle and Ms Houghton, the mother of his youngest son, moved to the Whitsundays from Melbourne in 2019 after “selling everything” to live on a yacht.
The couple loved the free-spirited lifestyle and eventually bought their first home together.
The couple loved the “freedom” they found up north, where Pringle enjoyed water skiing and mountain biking in his spare time.
She often shared lifestyle videos of her family on her Instagram account, which garnered more than 45,000 followers.
The couple welcomed a baby boy in April last year.
Ms Houghton announced the sad discovery of her partner’s body on a dedicated Facebook page.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Joel was found late yesterday (Tuesday) evening. Sadly, he has passed away,” she wrote.
‘We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who has joined in the search for Joel – family, friends and the many people who travelled from far away to help.’
In a post, Mr Pringle detailed his family’s life at sea.
“We spent our time island hopping, working and enjoying the tropical island,” he wrote.
“It certainly wasn’t easy living on a boat, but it was one of the best things we’ve ever done.”
Mr Pringle’s death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
In April, Mr Pringle shared a video of his baby.
“Monty, we are so in love with you, little one! The best thing about the studio is your visits,” she said.
Mr Pringle’s death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
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