Sydney father and daughter found dead in Parramatta River; suspected murder-suicide investigated
Consensus Summary
A 47-year-old man and his six-year-old daughter were found dead in the Parramatta River on June 14, 2026, after police believe he deliberately threw her overboard and then drowned himself in a planned murder-suicide. The man had hired boats multiple times in the week prior, including with his wife, and CCTV footage captured him watching his daughter struggle before jumping in. Neither could swim, despite lifejackets being available on the boat. Police found a suicide note and evidence suggesting premeditation, though the man had no known history of domestic violence. A friend alerted authorities about the man’s intentions shortly after his body was discovered, and the girl’s body was found after a five-hour search. The incident has left the community and the girl’s mother devastated, with police emphasizing the need for support services.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A 47-year-old man and his six-year-old daughter were found dead in the Parramatta River on Saturday, June 14, 2026.
- The man hired a boat from Cabarita Point marina at Hen and Chicken Bay on Saturday morning.
- Police found a suicide note and other evidence suggesting a planned murder-suicide.
- The man had hired boats multiple times in the week before the incident, including once with his wife.
- CCTV footage from a waterfront property captured the man throwing the six-year-old overboard before jumping in himself.
- Neither the man nor the girl could swim, and lifejackets were on the boat but unused.
- The girl’s body was found by divers after a 5-hour search, located using CCTV footage.
- The man was not known to police and had no recorded history of domestic violence.
- The girl’s mother was notified and is assisting police with inquiries but is not accused of wrongdoing.
- A friend called police about 45 minutes after the man’s body was found, raising concerns about the father and daughter’s welfare.
- The incident occurred near Hen and Chicken Bay, Concord, Sydney’s inner west.
- The man told friends he intended to kill himself and his daughter before the incident.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The girl’s age is reported as six in some articles and seven in Article 3 (SMH).
- The man’s body was retrieved just before midday on Saturday.
- The girl’s death follows a similar case less than a month prior where a western Sydney man allegedly killed his wife and two autistic sons in a planned triple murder.
- Police marine area commander Supt Joe McNulty stated the case is complex and requires careful investigation.
- The girl is described as the couple’s only child.
- The man’s body was retrieved just before midday on Saturday (consistent with SMH).
- The article explicitly states the man watched his daughter struggle before jumping in himself.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Article 3 (SMH) states the girl was seven years old, while Articles 1, 2, and 4 (SMH, Guardian, The Age) state she was six years old.
- Article 3 (SMH) mentions the incident occurred at Bayview Park in Concord, while other sources specify Hen and Chicken Bay as the primary location.
- Article 3 (SMH) does not mention the suicide note, while the Guardian and SMH (Articles 1, 2, 4) explicitly state one was found.
Source Articles
Father rehearsed murder-suicide over several days, police believe
Cameras at a waterfront property captured the man throwing his six-year-old daughter into the Parramatta River moments before jumping in himself.
Father may have thrown daughter into Parramatta River in suspected murder-suicide, police say
NSW police say suicide note and ‘other evidence’ suggest six-year-old’s death was an act of domestic violence Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A suicide note has been located after the bodies of a young girl and her father were pulled from the Parramatta River on Saturday. The six-year-old may have been deliberately thrown in the water by the man from a hired boat in what police believe was a horrific act of domes
‘Rock any mother to the core’: Bodies of girl, father found in Parramatta River
The bodies of a man and his young daughter have been found after a boat was seen drifting in the Parramatta River in Sydney’s inner west.
Father rehearsed murder-suicide over several days, police believe
Cameras at a waterfront property captured the man throwing his six-year-old daughter into the Parramatta River moments before jumping in himself.