Man arrested after four-year-old girl thrown off West Gate Bridge

POLICE have arrested a man at gunpoint on a Melbourne CBD street after a girl, 4, was allegedly thrown off the West Gate Bridge.

POLICE have arrested a man at gunpoint on a street in Melbourne's CBD after a four-year-old girl was allegedly thrown off the city's West Gate Bridge this morning.

The 35-year-old man from Hawthorn, understood to be the girl's father, was arrested by police outside the Commonwealth Law Courts building.

The man reportedly arrived at the court on the corner of Latrobe St and William St with two other children aged 6 and 8, believed to be his sons.

Witnesses told The Australian the man went to the building with the children.

One witness said the man was in a distressed state and asked a security officer: ”Can you take my kids for me, mate?’’

Shortly afterwards, a woman, reportedly the mother of the children, arrived at the building and took them away. The man was arrested and led away in handcuffs.

A White Toyota Landcruiser seen by witnesses on the bridge was nearby, and court staff had "put two and two together", Homicide Squad leader Detective Inspector Stephen Clark alleged.

The four-year-old girl was rushed to hospital in a critical condition about 9.30am today after being resuscitated at the scene by paramedics.

Witnesses said a driver, believed to be a man, stopped his car, pulled the child from the car and tossed her over a guard railing before speeding off.

The two other children were believed to be in the car at the time, police said. They are now with their mother and police at the Homicide Squad headquarters in St Kilda Road.

A number of witnesses to the girl being thrown off the bridge had come forward, and there had been a number of 000 calls at the time of the incident, Detective Inspector Clark said.

In a media conference, he alleged the man had "got straight out of the car, taken the young girl and walked to the edge of the bridge... and dropped her over the side of the bridge".

It is believed the girl fell about 50m to the ground. Water police were on the scene 10 minutes later.

Acting Sergeant Wendy Willingham from Victoria Police said a police marine unit found the girl about 9.30am near the Spotswood pumping station after witnesses raised the alarm.

Paramedics spent about 45 minutes working on the girl before she was flown by helicopter to the Royal Children's Hospital.