Sydney: Tragic end in search for young man trapped inside submerged car in Royal National Park
Emergency services have made a heartbreaking discovery in the search for a young man who became trapped inside a car after it ploughed into a weir.
A young man’s body has been found after he became trapped inside a car submerged underwater in a weir in Sydney’s south on Wednesday morning.
Emergency services rushed to Royal National Park at about 1.15am after reports a car had left the road and plunged into the water at Audley Weir.
Police said a passenger — a man believed to be in his 20s — became trapped in the car, prompting a multi-agency search operation.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The driver — a 20-year-old man — was able to free himself from the car and was later taken to hospital.
A police dive squad was sent to the scene, where a blue Audi sedan was pulled from the water.
Acting Inspector Steven Planinic from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command said after hours of searching police divers retrieved the man’s body about 10.20am. He is yet to be formally identified.
“The driver of the vehicle … was subject to mandatory testing and has been released from hospital, where he is now in custody at Sutherland Police Station, taking part in a police interview,” he said.
Inspector Planinic said a second vehicle, a silver Mercedes sedan, was involved in the incident, with the 18-year-old driver of the car assisting officers.
Both the driver of the blue sedan and silver car were subjected to a roadside breath test which returned a negative result.
“It does not appear at this early stage to be any contact between the two vehicles,” he said.
He added that police are investigating street racing as a potential theory in the lead-up to the incident.
The blue car that was retrieved from the water will undergo a mechanical examination as part of the investigation.
A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.
Audley Road at Audley Weird in the national park remained closed in both directions on Wednesday as major crash inspected the scene.
