Latest news with #CraigMansfield
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
Shocking claims made as police investigate a 7mo baby's drowning in lake in Chatsworth Park, Gympie
WARNING: Graphic content Horrific claims have emerged after a seven-month-old boy died after being found unresponsive in a lake at a Queensland campsite. Police said they were so far unable to explain the tragedy, but an avalanche of comments on social media have seen several people claim witnesses saw the baby being thrown into the lake by a man. No one has yet been arrested or charged. Police were not able to confirm any allegations as the matter is under investigation. Any witnesses have been urged to come forward. The baby boy was found in a lake at Chatsworth Park - located north of Gympie - at about 10.30am on Saturday. The baby's mother first raised the alarm and pulled her child from the water. He was rushed to Gympie Hostpial in a life-threatening condition but later died. Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield said on Monday that the circumstances surrounding the boy's death so far remained unclear. 'We're treating it as unexplained, that's probably the best term I can use at this point in time,' Inspector Mansfield said. He said the baby was at the park with his mother and father, who were on their way home to North Queensland and had stopped to stay overnight, with the tragedy occurring the next morning. 'The mother of the child did retrieve the child from the water - it's been a very traumatic experience for her, clearly,' Inspector Mansfield said. 'Multiple people assisted with the CPR of that infant child at the scene and obviously later emergency services.' Police cordoned off parts of the park on Saturday, including a playground and nearby campsite, as they continued their investigation. Chatsworth Park is a well-used rest stop and campsite for highway travellers and has become a place where some homeless people stay long-term. 'Some people stay there permanently and some others are transient, they're just passing through town looking for a place to sleep and the council allows for that,' Inspector Mansfield said. Police are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area, particularly between 9am and 11am on Saturday, including drivers who may have just been passing through. 'We have information that other vehicles were parked up in the rest stop area,' Inspector Mansfield said. 'They either left just prior or during, we just don't know until we speak to them. 'There were a couple of vehicles that left the scene who may or may not have seen or heard anything, but we just need to track them down in case they did.' The Child Trauma Unit and the Homicide Investigation Team are assisting with the investigation. No one has been charged in relation to the baby's death.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Horrific twist after baby is found dead in a park lake in Queensland
A police investigation into the tragic drowning of a seven-month-old baby boy at a popular camping spot has been rocked by allegations that he was thrown into the water. Emergency responders raced to the scene at Chatsworth Park near Gympie, Queensland at about 10.30am on Saturday following multiple triple-0 calls about a baby found unresponsive in a nearby lake. The boy's mother made the grim discovery and pulled him out of the water, which was just 40 metres from the campsite. She and fellow holidaymakers performed CPR on the baby, who was rushed to Gympie Hospital, where he later died. The baby and his parents had camped overnight at the park on their way home in North Queensland. Police investigating the circumstances of the baby's 'unexplained' death have urged anyone who was at the lake an hour before and after the tragedy to come forward. The public appeal sparked several posts on the Queensland Police Facebook page claiming alleged witnesses saw the baby thrown into the water by a man. Police responded to the posts by urging the posters to contact Policelink. No arrests or charges have been laid. A section of the campsite remained cordoned off as a crime scene on Monday. Officers from the Child Trauma Unit and the Homicide Investigation Team are assisting with the investigation. A post-mortem was carried out on Monday morning. 'We're treating it as unexplained, that's probably the best term I can use at this point in time,' Wide Bay Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield told reporters. 'We're trying to work out the mechanisms of how that occurred. 'We have part of the picture, we just want to complete that full picture before we decide on where that investigation leads us.' Chatsworth Park is a popular free camping and stopover spot off the Bruce Highway. It's also a common spot for the homeless, police confirmed. 'We have information that other vehicles were parked up in the rest stop area,' Insp Mansfield said. 'They either left just prior or during - we just don't know until we speak to them. 'There were a couple of vehicles that left the scene who may or may not have seen or heard anything, but we just need to track them down in case they did.' No arrests or charges have been laid.
