Major search launched at Concord after man found dead
A major multi-agency search is underway in Sydney’s inner west after the body of a man was found near a drifting boat and police confirmed his seven-year-old daughter remains missing.
Emergency services were called to Bayview Park on Burwood Road at Concord shortly before 11:45am on Saturday, after a passer-by on a boat spotted a man in the water. NSW Police said the man and his daughter had been in a boat together before the alarm was raised. The girl has not yet been located.
Police have described the search as urgent and have made clear that finding the child is their immediate priority. Superintendent Christine McDonald said officers were drawing on specialist resources across the force as the operation continued around the bay and nearby foreshore.
“Our priority right now is to locate the seven-year-old girl,” Superintendent McDonald said, according to the ABC. “There is a major search operation underway and we are using all our resources from the marine area command, police divers [and] police aviation command in an attempt to locate the little girl.”
Police divers, marine command and aviation resources involved
The response has brought together marine police, divers and air support, with officers searching the water and surrounding areas near Bayview Park. The location sits on the Parramatta River, where recreational boating traffic and foreshore parks are common on weekends.
Police tape was visible around parts of the area as investigators worked to establish what occurred before the man’s body was discovered. Authorities have not released the names of the man or the child, and formal identification processes are continuing.
Police said the pair were from the Westmead area. The girl’s mother has been notified, according to information provided by police during the early stages of the investigation.
The circumstances leading up to the incident remain unclear. Police have not publicly detailed how long the pair had been on the water, where the boat had travelled from, or whether weather, mechanical issues or other factors may have played a role. At this stage, the central focus remains the search and rescue effort.
Community urged to allow emergency crews to work
The discovery has drawn a large emergency response to the Concord waterfront, and members of the public in the area are being asked to follow police directions and avoid interfering with search crews. Operations involving divers and marine command can require controlled access to sections of shoreline, boat ramps and nearby roads while teams coordinate their work.
Cases involving missing children on waterways often require rapid coordination between police, paramedics, divers and aviation crews. Search teams may examine currents, visibility, nearby moorings and riverbank access points while also speaking with witnesses who were in the area at the time emergency services were called.
Anyone who was near Bayview Park or on the water around Concord late on Saturday morning and saw anything relevant is expected to be of interest to investigators. Dashcam, mobile phone or boating footage may also assist police in piecing together the timeline.
The incident is still developing, and police are expected to provide further updates as more information is confirmed. Until then, authorities have urged caution around unverified reports and speculation, particularly given the involvement of a young child and the notification of family members.
Investigation in its early stages
While the search continues, investigators will also work to determine the sequence of events that led to the man being found in the water. That process is likely to include examination of the boat, the recovery location, witness accounts and any available CCTV or marine traffic information.
No charges or allegations have been announced, and police have not suggested a criminal finding. The matter remains an active emergency and investigation, with updates expected as the search progresses.
The case has prompted concern across Sydney because of the age of the missing girl and the scale of the response now underway. For emergency crews at Concord, the immediate task is simple and urgent: locate the child and establish what happened on the water.
Source: ABC News and NSW Police public updates.