Woman and child dead at Mt Keira Lookout

It’s one of Wollongong’s most scenic views but the NSW lookout was a grim scene after a woman plunged to her death, taking her daughter with her, in what police are treating as a harrowing murder-suicide.

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It’s one of Wollongong’s most scenic views but on Tuesday Robertson Lookout was a grim scene after a woman plunged to her death, taking her young daughter with her, in what police are treating as a harrowing murder-suicide.

The picturesque tourist hotspot quickly became a scene of devastation when the woman, aged in her 30s, and the three-year-old girl, were found at the bottom of the cliff at Mt Keira, 4km northwest of Wollongong, on Tuesday.

Police rushed to the lookout just before 2pm after they ­received a concern for welfare report for the woman and her child.

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A distraught family member was consoled by paramedics and police in the carpark that leads to the lookout where the pair died.

A car, believed to belong to the woman, was towed away.

Specialist paramedics were winched into the dense bushland to begin the long and slow recovery effort of the pair.

A man believed to be a family member is seen in a distressed state at the Robertson Lookout carpark on Tuesday. Picture: TNV

A man believed to be a family member speaks to a paramedic at the Robertson Lookout carpark on Tuesday. Picture: TNV

Wollongong Police District Commander Superintendent Chris Craner said the recovery mission and investigation would be difficult due to the dense bushland and heartbreaking ­circumstances.

“They’ve only just reached the area and the bodies to do a recovery and also do an investigation to find out what actually happened,” he said.

Emergency services members at the Robertson Lookout Walking Track on Tuesday. Picture: TNV

Supt Craner said it was never easy trying to make sense of such a tragic loss of life.

“It’s going to be absolutely devastating for the community who don’t know these people and hear this and what it’s about,” he said.

“And it’s going to be devastating for the family. My thoughts are also with the emergency services that have been going about their day, had a good shift then turned up to this horrific incident.”

The police and emergency rescue teams at the site on Tuesday. Picture: TNV

Police cordoned off a road leading to Robertson Lookout at Mount Keira. Picture: Richard Dobson

Supt Craner said the recovery efforts would continue overnight, with emergency services expected to walk the bodies out of the bushland on foot on Wednesday.

“It’s steep, it’s hectic, we’ve got police coming in from the low side, police trekking down from the high side,” he said.

“It’s a treacherous, dangerous area that we need to get to, to respectfully get   these ­people out.”

Harry Graham Drive, the ­access road to the lookout, was closed as police investigated the double fatality.

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