Police have found evidence that a mother may have given birth on a Sydney riverbank and have deployed divers and blood-sniffing dogs to search for the mother and newborn..
Emergency services were called to Cooks River in Earlwood, in the city’s southwest, on Monday afternoon after a dog walker found what police believed to be a placenta and umbilical cord. Police said tests on the organs confirmed they were human.
There were serious concerns for the safety of the child and his mother and detectives searched the crime scene.
The police officer urged the mother to go to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment.
Detective Inspector Christine McDonald said lights were brought in so a massive search could begin on Monday night. The search resumed on Tuesday morning, with police divers “searching the mangroves and waterfront.”
Mr MacDonald said the placenta and umbilical cord were found in mangroves and that it was “muddy” so “it will take some time to assess the site”.
Blood-sniffing dogs also arrived at the scene on Tuesday morning after police identified areas that required “further forensic testing”.
The area around Lang Road remained sealed off on Tuesday, with investigators also searching the grassed area outside Canterbury Rugby Union Club.
“Obviously we hope that our searches will shed light on what happened. We have not yet determined whether the birth of the child took place at this location or another location,” she said. “We urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.”
“It’s very important and urgent that we find the mother and child as soon as possible. We’ve asked the mother to go to the hospital. We will contact the hospital.”
The Cooks River flows out from Yagoona in Sydney’s southwest and empties into Botany Bay, Kymer, 23 km away.
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Anyone who saw the woman in distress in the areas of Lang Road, Wardell Road, Ewen Park and Tennent Parade on Monday is asked to come forward.
“Any information is crucial,” Ms McDonald said, adding that police were also appealing for any CCTV footage to be provided. “We are deeply concerned for the mother’s safety and mental wellbeing, as well as the safety of her baby.”
“We won’t judge. They need to know we care. We want to know they’re safe.”
Police said there is no evidence at this time that the baby was harmed.
The placenta and umbilical cord were sent for examination on Tuesday morning to attempt to ascertain the age of the pregnancy, the gender of the foetus and how long the placenta and umbilical cord had been in the river.
