Innisfail man Jaye Lee Walton charged with manslaughter of son Reef Hunter Walton

An East Innisfail fisherman has fronted court after the death of his baby boy at a roadside stop-off while travelling back to Far North Queensland.

An East Innisfail fisherman has fronted court after the death of his baby boy at a roadside stop-off while travelling back to Far North Queensland.

On Tuesday afternoon police charged Jaye Lee Walton with the manslaughter of seven-month-old baby boy, Reef Hunter Walton.

The 42-year-old was arrested at a house at Bundamba, a suburb of Ipswich, and was held overnight at the Ipswich watch house ahead of his first court appearance on Wednesday.

Mr Walton’s manslaughter charge was mentioned in the Ipswich Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning but no evidence was heard.

Emergency services were called to Chatsworth Park, off Gympie-Curra Road, about 10.40am Saturday following reports a seven-month-old baby boy was found unresponsive in a lake at the park.

The case was adjourned for legal argument on whether Mr Walton was in a show cause position for bail.

Mr Walton and the baby’s mother, Amy Stevenson, were travelling back to the Far North at the end of the school holidays and stopped for a break at Chatsworth Park near Gympie on Saturday.

Emergency services were called to the park off Gympie Curra Road about 10.40am following reports the seven-month-old baby boy was pulled unresponsive from the water by his distraught mother.

The lake where a seven-month-old baby drowned on Saturday July 12.

Multiple bystanders tried to revive the boy and he was rushed to hospital but tragically died.

Homicide detectives and members of the police Child Trauma Unit were brought in at the weekend to help investigate what was first reported as a drowning after the boy’s mother raised the alarm.

Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield revealed the baby and his family had driven into the picturesque park on the Old Bruce Highway.

Insp Mansfield said it was the boy’s mother who retrieved him from the water at the busy campground popular with travellers, grey nomads and the homeless.

“A number of people reported it to the police,” he said.

A tribute was left at Chatsworth Park, near Gympie, where a seven-month-old baby drowned on Saturday.

Insp Mansfield said it would be alleged police knew what had happened and were now “trying to establish why”.

The baby’s mother, originally from Wollongong, relocated to the Cairns area in July 2023 and at the time reached out on local social media groups for accommodation for her and her three children.

The matter of the child’s manslaughter, domestic violence offence, is expected to return to court on Thursday.

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Originally published as Innisfail man Jaye Lee Walton charged with manslaughter of son Reef Hunter Walton