- Elderly couple found dead on isolated trail
- Their bodies were found next to an authorized weapon
- Call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 if you need help
- READ MORE: Two dead after terrible shooting in Australia
An elderly couple whose bodies were discovered by horrified beachgoers are suspected of taking part in a suicide pact.
The bodies of Bart Wissink, 78, and his partner Kaye Salisbury, 74, were found last Friday on a footpath near Wreck Beach, 230 kilometers southwest of Melbourne, off the Great Ocean Road on the Surf Coast.
It has since been revealed that a licensed gun was found near the grim discovery.
The couple, who were discovered with gunshot wounds, were believed to have agreed to end their lives together after a gun was found at the scene, the Herald Sun reported.
The gun used was licensed to Wissink, who had moved to Australia from South Africa decades ago.
The arts philanthropists are understood to split their time between a property in nearby Buckley and Melbourne.
Surprised locals described the couple as very quiet and reserved.
Bart Wissink, 78, and his partner Kaye Salisbury, 74, were found on a walking trail near Wreck Beach (pictured), off Great Ocean Road, last Friday.
It is believed that the elderly couple had agreed to end their lives together. In the photo the police appear at the scene.
Ron Condon, an alpaca farmer who lives on the same Surf Coast road as the couple, described Wissink as “calm”.
“I’ve been here for seven years and we pass them on the street and we pass each other and say hello,” he said.
Condon said the deaths had left locals scratching their heads.
“It’s quite sad, something has gone astray somehow,” he added.
‘I look at the property and it’s plowed, it’s got grasses growing like they’re getting ready to do what they normally would do.
“It’s been very sad to hear and it’s very strange.”
Mr. Wissink had a license to possess a weapon located near the bodies. The photo shows the trail closed for walking.
The couple was described as very quiet and reserved.
The couple are understood to have been notable donors to the arts and made significant financial contributions to the National Gallery of Victoria, the Victorian Opera, the Melbourne Recital Center and regional arts groups.
Victoria Police said they were not treating the deaths as suspicious.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
If you or someone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Suicide callback service on 1300 659 467.