Latest news with #NitmilukNationalPark
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Grim discovery at popular tourist spot
A grim discovery has been made at a popular tourist attraction in the Northern Territory two days after an interstate visitor mysteriously disappeared from the idyllic location. The body of a 57-year-old man was recovered earlier on Thursday from Edith Falls, also known as Leliyn, in Nitmiluk National Park, about 290km south of Darwin. The man had last been seen entering a plunge pool at Edith Falls about 3pm on Tuesday. As per the NT News, a witness reported the man who had been swimming with his family struggled in the water at the lower pool, and failed to resurface. In a statement, NT Police said officers 'located and recovered the man's body a short time ago near one of the waterfalls'. 'At this stage, police do not believe the death to be suspicious and was the result of a medical incident,' the statement read The upper and lower pools at Edith Falls, along with the walking track to the upper pool, are expected to remain closed for the remainder of Thursday. 'Yesterday, the floor of the Edith Falls plunge pool was being surveyed and live scanned,' Search and Rescue Section (SRS) officer in charge Paul Wood said on Thursday. 'SRS has four trained divers who commenced an underwater search, keeping in mind visibility below 10m is approximately 0.5m. 'There is a lot of debris, rock, ledges, branches and tree trunks that is being searched.' Senior Sergeant Wood said police suspected the man suffered a medical episode and did not believe a crocodile was involved. More to come
News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
Man's body found at popular Northern Territory tourist spot
A grim discovery has been made at a popular tourist attraction in the Northern Territory two days after an interstate visitor mysteriously disappeared from the idyllic location. The body of a 57-year-old man was recovered earlier on Thursday from Edith Falls, also known as Leliyn, in Nitmiluk National Park, about 290km south of Darwin. The man had last been seen entering a plunge pool at Edith Falls about 3pm on Tuesday. As per the NT News, a witness reported the man who had been swimming with his family struggled in the water at the lower pool, and failed to resurface. In a statement, NT Police said officers 'located and recovered the man's body a short time ago near one of the waterfalls'. 'At this stage, police do not believe the death to be suspicious and was the result of a medical incident,' the statement read The upper and lower pools at Edith Falls, along with the walking track to the upper pool, are expected to remain closed for the remainder of Thursday. 'Yesterday, the floor of the Edith Falls plunge pool was being surveyed and live scanned,' Search and Rescue Section (SRS) officer in charge Paul Wood said on Thursday. 'SRS has four trained divers who commenced an underwater search, keeping in mind visibility below 10m is approximately 0.5m. 'There is a lot of debris, rock, ledges, branches and tree trunks that is being searched.' Senior Sergeant Wood said police suspected the man suffered a medical episode and did not believe a crocodile was involved.
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Police recover body of missing tourist after drowning at Edith Falls, near Katherine
The body of an tourist who drowned at a popular Northern Territory swimming hole has been recovered by police, after a search lasting more than a day. Specialist divers began searching Edith Falls in Nitmiluk National Park, north of Katherine, at about 7am on Wednesday after reports a 57-year-old man had slipped under the water and failed to resurface the previous afternoon. The police operation also involved specialist search and rescue officers, watercraft and underwater and overhead drones. At about midday on Wednesday, police confirmed search and rescue officers had found the man's body. "Police located and recovered the man's body a short time ago near one of the waterfalls," a police spokesperson said in a statement. Police have said the man was an interstate tourist who was visiting the territory with his family. A report into the man's death will be prepared for the coroner. Senior Sergeant Paul Wood, who led the search and rescue operation, said the man and his family had swum about 100 metres into the lower pool at Edith Falls, towards the waterfalls, when the 57-year-old man "started to struggle". Senior Sergeant Wood said low visibility, as well as underwater rocks and debris, had presented challenges for police searching the area. He said parts of the water where divers were searching plunged 25 metres deep. Both the upper and lower pools at Edith Falls, and walking tracks, are expected to remain cordoned off for the rest of Thursday. The day-use area remains open, and campers are permitted to stay. Chris Anwyl, who is travelling across the NT and WA, was at Edith Falls when police began their search. He said his thoughts were with the man's family, and described the drowning as a sobering "reality check". He had spent most of Tuesday afternoon exploring the pools, not realising anything was wrong until Wednesday morning when he saw the walking paths had been shut. Mr Anwyl said swimming in the upper pool was beautiful that day "and it wasn't too cold that would cause you to lose your breath", however he noticed water in the lower pool was murky. "But there was people in the water, we were going to go back for a swim a bit later on but changed our mind," he said. "I saw a family getting in just after 4pm, and there was a couple of people swimming out further. The incident comes during the peak of the NT's tourism season.
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Underwater search for missing tourist continues at Edith Falls, north of Katherine
Specialist police have entered their second day in a recovery mission to find a missing swimmer suspected to have drowned at a popular Northern Territory swimming hole. Northern Territory police said witnesses saw a 57-year-old man struggling in the lower pool of Edith Falls in Nitmiluk National Park while swimming about 3pm on Tuesday, before he slipped below the water. Underwater and overhead drones, police watercraft and a team of divers have continued to search for the man, who is an interstate tourist. Senior Sergeant Paul Wood, who is leading the search and rescue, said the man was visiting the national park with his family on a holiday to the territory. "The family swum approximately 100 metres towards the falls and a 57-year-old male started to struggle," he said. Senior Sergeant Wood said police were treating the search as a recovery mission, but low visibility paired with underwater rocks and debris had presented challenges. He said it was "a matter of being patient" as these kind of operations can take some time, and parts of the lower pool were 25 metres deep. Visitors arriving at the falls are being told by park rangers the pools are shut, but campers are permitted to stay as the search continues. Chris Anwyl, who is travelling across the NT and WA, was at Edith Falls when police began their operation. He said his thoughts were with the man's family, describing the suspected drowning as a sobering "reality check" about personal safety. He had spent most of Tuesday afternoon exploring the pools, not realising anything was wrong until Wednesday morning when he saw the walking paths had been shut. Mr Anwyl said swimming in the upper pool was beautiful that day "and it wasn't too cold that would cause you to lose your breath", however he noticed water in the lower pool was murky. "But there was people in the water, we were going to go back for a swim a bit later on but changed our mind," he said. "I saw a family getting in just after 4pm, and there was a couple of people swimming out further. The incident comes during the peak of the NT's tourism season.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- News.com.au
Popular swimming spot shuts in NT after tourist disappears
A popular swimming spot in the Northern Territory has closed as authorities search for a missing tourist. The man in his 50s was last seen swimming at Edith Falls, also known as Leliyn, in Nitmiluk National Park — about 290km south of Darwin — on Tuesday. On Tuesday night, police urged members of the public to avoid the area as officers investigated. They said the man was believed to have drowned. NT Police Acting Commissioner Martin Dole told ABC Radio Darwin on Wednesday morning the missing person was last seen in the lower pool and police divers were being sent there to continue the search. All swimming holes, plunge pools and walking trails in the area have been closed 'due to police operations,' according to the state government's website. That includes the Edith Falls plunge pool, the upper pool, Sweetwater pool, the Leliyn loop walk and the Sweetwater and Longhole walk. They are expected to reopen on Thursday. The campground has remained open throughout the search. The NT News reported the man was understood to be an Australian tourist who became separated from the group he was with on Tuesday afternoon. Edith Falls is promoted as being a place for exploring picturesque waterfalls, an idyllic spot for a camping, with great swimming and bushwalking.
