Police call for witnesses who saw ‘baby’ in the water off La Perouse
Police have urged any witnesses who were at Yarra Bay on Sunday afternoon to come forward.
Police & Courts
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Police have urged witnesses who were at Yarra Bay on Sunday afternoon — and may have seen a baby wrapped in plastic floating in shallow water — to come forward, as the large-scale search is scaled back.
Eastern Beaches Police Area Command Detective Superintendent Rohan Cramsie said three men were with their family at the beach near La Perouse and made the apparant discovery while “exploring the rock pools”.
“Police arrived a short time later after the men called, but perhaps due to the tidal movements when police did return to the area the witnesses believed they had seen the item — the plastic bag — it was no longer there,” Det Cramsie said.
“All the men have a consistent version of events. They are the people we have spoken to and no other witnesses have come forward.
“But it’s important that if there was anybody else in this area yesterday, between 4.30pm and 5pm who may have seen an item similar in the water, to please come forward.”
The search that began yesterday afternoon has now been scaled down.
But investigations continue as police look for more witnesses as well as speak to medical facilities.
“Unfortunately up until this point, there’s been nothing located to enable us to further our investigation,” Det Cramsie said.
“We are comfortable at this point we have searched everything we can that may have assisted us with further information.
“Our priority is to ensure the safety of anyone who may have been involved in this. If there’s a mother out there who knows something about this we want to make sure she is ok.
“There’s nothing shameful about this, we want to make sure she’s safe and we can assist her in anything to make sure her health is our absolute priority.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
SEARCH FOR FLOATING ‘BABY’ WRAPPED IN PLASTIC
A major search has resumed this morning, following reports a baby wrapped in plastic was seen floating in shallow water off Yarra Bay near La Perouse.
Police were called to the area on Sunday around 5pm after being informed by several people that they had seen an object believed to be a dead baby.
Water police and several divers descended on the area at 7am today, before a search helicopter joined the efforts around 9am as they concentrated on Yarra Bay.
The multi-agency search of the area included assistance from the Police Marine Area Command, Polair and Public Order and Riot Squad.
Around 35 SES volunteers from nine locations are also assisting police, as they conducted a land search around the bay and on the rocky outcrop near Yarra Sailing Club.
The search is now expanding to Bumbora Point, with around eight officers from the Public Order and Riot Squad searching the sand dunes.
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