The search for a missing infant continues after the bodies of a 36-year-old mother and a toddler were pulled from the ocean on Monday. Police have expressed 'grave concerns' for the baby, who is less than one year old.
Discovery of the Car
The state emergency service and police were called to a beach in South Australia just after 11am local time on Monday (July 28) after a white Isuzu MU-X was found west of Port MacDonnell with its engine still running. The car, with South Australian registration S592 BJR, is believed to belong to the woman.
Police Statement
Superintendent Trent Cox said the baby was with the mother earlier that day. "The baby is known to have been with the mother earlier that day but as to whether the baby was still with her when the vehicle was left, that's open to speculation," he said. He added that while police were "keeping an open mind about everything," they did not "hold out great hope" for the baby. "The child is less than one year old. In any conditions, that would cause great concern about the child's ability to survive, if not in the water," he told NCA.
Search Suspended Due to Conditions
The search for the missing child was called off on Monday night after conditions became too dangerous. Waves at Port MacDonnell were producing five-footers, with water temperatures at 15°C and air temperatures at 12°C. Superintendent Cox noted, "The conditions were not easy for the waterborne assets, and I'm led to believe that (Tuesday) is not going to be an easy day either." He described the incident as "tragic" for all involved, saying, "It's tragic for them. It's an awful thing for emergency services and the community to have to deal with."
Search to Resume
SA Police will resume the search on Tuesday morning in the coastal waters near Port MacDonnell, 477 kilometres south-east of Adelaide. Officers are determined "to find the missing child," Superintendent Cox said. The public is urged to contact Crime Stoppers if they saw the white Isuzu MU-X (rego S592 BJR) in the Mount Gambier, Compton, or Port MacDonnell areas on Monday.
