Man and woman found dead on yacht off Cammeray, police investigation launched
Police have provided an update after the bodies of a man and woman were found on board a luxury yacht in Sydney’s north.
NSW
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The deaths of a man and woman, whose bodies were found onboard a yacht in Sydney’s north on Wednesday evening are being treated as suspicious, police say.
Detective Inspector Siobhan Munro said there “was no obvious cause of death” yet.
“At this stage, we are treating it as suspicious because we don’t know what’s happened,” Detective Inspector Munro said
“There is no obvious cause of death, so it’s not suspicious in that there is a knife or something like that, it’s more that we have to look at every piece of available evidence.”
Detective Inspector Munro also said it was too early in the investigation to rule out foul play.
It is understood that carbon monoxide poisoning will be among the lines of inquiry being examined by police at this early stage, along with several other possible scenarios.
“We had the fire brigade turn up, we treat it as a possibility that fumes may be related so that’s why we’ve done the testing and the post-mortem will reveal more related to that so it is more cautionary,” Det Insp Munro said.
The couple is yet to be formally identified but it can be confirmed the man whose body was found aboard the boat was the registered owner.
An eyewitness at the scene with experience in yachting, said carbon monoxide poisonings are a tragic but not uncommon occurrence for those sleeping in vessels with closed cabins, as well as caravans.
The eyewitness explained toxic fumes can build up within enclosed spaces from a vessel’s generator or heater.
The man and woman were found dead inside a luxury 47-foot yacht in Sydney’s affluent lower north shore, with police launching a probe into what happened.
Officers were called to a mooring at Tunks Park shortly before 9pm due to concerns for the welfare of two people believed to be on the large yacht.
Sydney Water Police officers boarded the vessels and found the bodies of a man and a woman, believed to be aged in their 50s or 60s.
Specialist firefighters were called in due to concerns about fumes detected on board.
Tradesman Nathaniel Murphy, saw water police on board the vessel named “Taloha” at around half past 5 this morning.
“I turned up here just before daybreak to check on our boat which is sunk nearby, and saw the police on board”, he said.
“I was like ‘what’s going on here’, they said ‘someone’s passed out in the boat’.”
Another man who asked not to be named, rushed to the scene after hearing the news fearing the couple were his friends.
“I have two friends who match that description who are doing renovations and were camping on board their yacht overnight,” the man said
The man said the marina was a popular spot for overseas visitors to moor their yachts as a cheaper alternative to Sydney Harbour.
A van belonging to the coroner’s department has just arrived on site, indicating police are preparing to remove the bodies off the boat.
A crime scene has now been established and inquiries commenced by detectives.
It is understood that carbon monoxide poisoning will be among the lines of inquiry being examined by police at this early stage, along with several other possible scenarios.
A number of items have been identified at the scene and will be taken for forensic examination.
A post-mortem examination will be conducted in coming days to confirm the identity of the man and woman, and to determine cause of death.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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Originally published as Man and woman found dead on yacht off Cammeray, police investigation launched