Overview
- Police say the 47-year-old man deliberately threw his six-year-old daughter into the Parramatta River before jumping in himself and both bodies were recovered by emergency crews.
- Boaties located the man’s body before midday on Saturday after a Triple Zero call and divers found the girl’s body at dusk following an almost seven-hour search of the riverbed.
- Investigators report detectives found a note on the vessel and that the man had hired the same runabout several times in the week before the deaths, which they say shows rehearsal and planning.
- Authorities say neither the father nor the child could swim, the father had no prior police history, the child’s mother has given a statement and is not accused, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
- The case has prompted calls to notice mental‑health and family‑safety warning signs and comes as detectives examine motive while the homicide squad continues inquiries.