Father dead, young daughter missing after boating tragedy in Sydney

A father has died and his daughter is missing after a boat was found drifting in the water in Sydney’s inner west this morning.

Police said the man had been seen in a small hire boat with the seven-year-old girl at Bayview Park on Burwood Road in Concord before 11.45am, shortly before his body was discovered.

Police were called to the scene after a passerby contacted Triple Zero.

Officers used a member of the public’s boat to search the waterway for the man.

He is believed to be aged in his 40s and a resident of the Westmead area.

He has not been formally identified and police have not determined how the man came to be in the water.

NSW Police Superintendent Christine McDonald described the death as an “absolute tragedy” for the family and the community.

“The child’s mother has been notified of the death of the man, and she has been notified of the major search operation that’s under way,” McDonald said.

“She is currently with police assisting with our enquiries.

“Obviously, a mother in this situation who knows that her husband is now deceased, [and] that a major search operation is under way for her seven-year-old daughter, her only child as I understand, it would rock any mother to the core.”

McDonald said a friend of the man called police after midday and expressed concerns for the welfare of the two.

“Unfortunately, police had located the man deceased just before 11.45am, so about an hour beforehand,” she said.

McDonald said police would investigate whether the incident was domestic violence-related.

“In terms of whether this was an accident or this was intentional, that will form part of our inquiries,” she said.

“We’re looking at obviously everything, it’s definitely a line of inquiry.”

A search party is currently looking for the young girl.

“Our priority right now is to locate the seven-year-old girl,” McDonald said.

“We are using all of our resources, from the Marine Area Command, police divers, police aviation command, in an attempt to locate the little girl.”

She urged anyone with information or footage to come forward.

“If you have any information or you saw anything, I’d really encourage you to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Burwood Police,” she said.

“It’s really important that we get any information we can, [and] that we also secure any CCTV that any homes on the waterfront may have, so that can assist in our search here this afternoon.”

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Mother’s worst nightmare as husband is found dead and their young daughter remains missing after tragic boating accident on Parramatta River

• Man found dead in Parramatta River
• Search ongoing for missing young girl 

A man has died and his daughter is missing after a small boat was found adrift on the Parramatta River in Sydney’s inner west.

Emergency services were called to Bayview Park on Burwood Road in Concord just before 11.45am on Saturday after reports a body had been spotted in the water.

When police arrived, they pulled the man into a hire boat and attempted CPR, but he died at the scene.

The man is yet to be formally identified, but police believe he was in his 40s and from the Westmead area, about 26km west of Sydney’s CBD.

Officers were told the man had been seen in a small boat with a child shortly before the discovery.

The girl, believed to be about seven years old and the man’s daughter, has not been found.

Her mother has been told her husband has died and her daughter is missing, police said.

‘This is an absolute tragedy for the family and the community on every level,’ Superintendent Christine McDonald told reporters on Saturday.

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A man has died and a child is reportedly missing after a boat was found drifting in Sydney

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Superintendent Christine McDonald said police believe the pair were father and daughter

‘Obviously a mother in this situation who knows that her husband is now deceased, who also knows that a major search operation is underway for her seven-year-old daughter, her only child, as I understand it – it would rock any mother to the core.’

Police have established a command post and launched a search for the girl, with specialist resources assisting.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Burwood police or Crime Stoppers.

Supt McDonald said police were unsure how the man came to be in the water.

‘We do know that the man that we’ve located hired the vessel today, and that is all forming part of our inquiries,’ she said.

‘Today at 12.30pm, police received a call from a friend of the man to say that he had concerns for the child’s welfare and the man’s welfare.

‘Unfortunately, police had located that man deceased just before 11.45am, so about an hour beforehand.

Supt McDonald said police are probing whether this was an accident or whether it was intentional.

Specialist resources have been called in to help with the search

‘We’re looking obviously at everything; it’s definitely a line of inquiry,’ she said.

‘Someone’s died, so we are investigating it on behalf of the coroner, and the coroner’s expectation is that we will leave no stone unturned.’

The operation to find the missing girl will be supported from Marine Area Command, divers and aviation command.

‘Our officers will search until we locate the seven-year-old girl,’ she said.

‘I can’t tell you how committed our officers are right now to locating her. We are all out. We are looking in every place on the foreshore, in the water.’

A search of the boat will also be carried out by police.