SYDNEY — Police are investigating the deaths of a six-year-old girl and her father in Sydney’s Parramatta River as a suspected murder-suicide after both were found dead following a boating incident near Concord.
Emergency services were called to waters off Bayview Park on Saturday after reports of a man in the river. The body of a 47-year-old man was recovered before authorities launched a large-scale search for the missing child.
Several hours later, specialist police divers located the body of the six-year-old girl. It is understood neither the father nor daughter could swim.
A Sydney father is believed to have made multiple boat hires in the days before throwing his six-year-old daughter into the Parramatta River and taking his own life in what investigators describe as a planned murder-suicide.https://t.co/EFxQkhNKJ5
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) June 14, 2026
Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and allege the incident may have been planned.
According to reports, detectives are reviewing evidence that the father had hired a boat on multiple occasions in the days leading up to Saturday. Police also allege he sent messages to friends indicating an intention to take both his own life and that of his daughter.
About 45 minutes after the initial emergency call, one of the man’s friends contacted authorities out of concern for the welfare of the pair.
The girl’s mother is assisting detectives with their investigation and is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Police said the 47-year-old man was not previously known to law enforcement and had no known history of domestic violence.
Detectives attached to Strike Force Paragon are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
