Gold Coast crime: Man drowns after diving into Robina creek following alleged break-in attempt

A man has drowned after diving into a creek following an attempted break-in at a Gold Coast home, with police investigating if the incident is linked to other break-ins in the area.

A POLAIR helicopter joined the search for the man.

A man has drowned after diving into a Robina creek when he was allegedly caught attempting to break into a house.

Police were called at about 11.20am regarding an attempted break and enter of a property at Blakehurst Place.

It is understood the offender jumped into nearby water and attempted to swim away from the scene after being confronted by a resident.

The resident told police that he had seen the man submerge and fail to resurface.

A police boat searching for a man who dived into a creek after attempting to break into a house in Robina.

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Water police and the PolAir helicopter searched for the man, locating his body below the water in the vicinity of Narrabeen Court around 1.30pm.

Sergeant Matt Ward of Queensland Police said the man was seen struggling before he sank beneath the water.

“As of 11.30am a male had been disturbed by a male offender trying to break into their home.

“The offender has run off and jumped into the canal.

“He was seen swimming in the river, struggling, before going underwater.

“With water police and PolAir, we’ve been able to locate that person.

“I believe a local resident got their boat out in an attempt to make a rescue. But the male person disappeared.”

The deceased man didn’t make it too far, being found between 25 to 30m away from land in water approximately 25m deep.

Sanjay and Asha Soni outside their Robina home. Picture: Emily Halloran.

It is believed a number of properties in the area were broken into this morning, with police investigating if the break-ins are linked.

Married couple Asha and Sanjay Soni had their family home at nearby Warriewood Place broken into.

Mrs Soni came home to a “completely trashed” home about midday.

She believes the break-in happened between 10.30 and 11.30am.

“I got home. I called my husband and I said ‘there’s things everywhere’. He said ‘what’s happened’, I said ‘I don’t know’ and he’s jumped in the car and come home.

“We’ve noticed things missing. Phones, wedding ring, heaps of money. My little boy had a piggy bank, which they broke and took all the cash out of it, about $1500.

“The money I don’t really care about, it’s my home. It’s the invasion that someone’s been through your clothes and through your kids’ rooms.

“It’s awful because someone’s been in your home and I’ve got two young kids.

“It’s Halloween – it’s not a prank. It’s something real that’s happened to us.

“We’re from South Africa. We live in a first-world country. This doesn’t happen.

“They took everything out of drawers and threw it all over the place.”

The couple had moved to Robina about nine months ago but were moving tomorrow to Sorrento.

They were quick to clean up the house as they didn’t want to tell their two children and upset them.