Mystery surrounds river deaths

Sep 3 2012

Detectives are working to solve the mystery of how a couple whose bodies were found in a river died after disappearing from a holiday cruiser on the Norfolk Broads.

Post-mortem tests on the man and woman, both in their 40s and from the Surrey area, have been carried out after they were found dead in the water by police on Sunday.

Officers had launched a search after finding the woman's daughter, a 13-year-old girl, alone but unharmed on the cruiser on Saturday.

It is understood the trio had spent a week holidaying on the Broads and were due to return home on Saturday.

The mother, her boyfriend and the girl had all reportedly been seen enjoying a barbecue on deck on Friday evening.

Some river users said the boat had remained around the same isolated inlet, between Wroxham Broad and Salhouse Broad, throughout the week.

Officers are treating the deaths as unexplained but are not looking for anybody else in connection with the inquiry. The girl is being cared for by family.

Detective Superintendent Jes Fry, of the joint Norfolk and Suffolk major investigation team, said: "We continue to investigate this tragic event.

"Our main consideration is the welfare of the 13-year-old girl and whilst I cannot speculate on the circumstances surrounding the deaths before I have received the results of the post-mortems, initial investigations confirm that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident."

Specialist river policing officers found the 38ft-long Admiral hire craft on a stretch of the River Bure after being alerted by a boat rental company reporting that one of its vessels had not been returned on time.