Family of influencer found dead four weeks after vanishing speak of 'despair' as they saw signs he was alive

Joel Pringle was last seen at an address in the Whitsunday Region of Queensland, Australia, days after celebrating his milestone 40th birthday last month.

His disappearance sparked a massive search, but the search came to an end in a sad way earlier this month. His partner Eve Houghton, who he shared two young children with, announced on Wednesday (September 18) that Pringle had died. She said: “It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Joel was found late yesterday evening. Unfortunately he passed away.”

Now, his family have provided further details about his death - and have revealed they believed he was still alive before he was found. Houghton's mother Natalie Stockdale has spoken to local media to say how her daughter has been coping with the shock loss of her partner.

“She never gave up, tirelessly searching until the very last day. Along the way, we encountered signs that gave us hope he was still alive, but sadly, they turned out to be false, which made our emotions swing between hope and despair”, she told news.com.au.

“Now that Joel has been found, we thought we'd feel some relief, but instead, it's a profound and overwhelming sadness. Eve is deeply distressed, as you can imagine, but she's also strong and resilient, with wisdom far beyond her 28 years.”

The couple shared a 17-month-old soon and Pringle also had another older son from a previous relationship. In April, Pringle shared a video of his baby son, who was born last April. He said: “Monty we are so in love with you little guy! Best thing about the studio is your visits,” he said.

Stockdale went on to pay a tribute to Pringle, describing him as “an extraordinary man” who had a great sense of humour, was a talented artist and loved his family. She added: “He considered Eve as his soulmate. Eve and his two sons were his greatest loves.”

Pringle was an Instagram influencer who ran a self-titled logo designing company, selling iconic cartoon-style sketches. His logos were used by businesses across the world, and his clients included big names such as Foot Locker, The Mad Hueys, KFC, and Pringles.

Originally from Melbourne, Pringle and his family moved to the coastal area of the Whitsundays in 2019 to live on a yacht, sharing their journey online with his more than 44,000 followers. Since then, he used his platform to speak about the benefits of his nomad lifestyle and also offered classes to teach others how to start their own businesses.

His worried relatives raised the alarm after the father vanished, seemingly with his car. He had celebrated his 40th birthday on Thursday August 14, just five days before going missing.

No details have been made available regarding the circumstances of his death, but it is being treated as non-suspicious. A report will be prepared for the coroner.