Shoalhaven River: Body found in search

Police confirmed a body had been recovered by search teams near Coolendel, 40kilometres west of Nowra, at 6.10am Monday. Police said the body was yet to be formally identified, but ‘‘it is believed to be that of the 38-year-old’’.

Shoalhaven Police refused to release further information on how or where the body had been found, or the cause of death.

The man was swimming in the river at a campground at Coolendel on Saturday when he disappeared. It is believed his children were on an inflatable mattress when they got into difficulty, and the man slipped underwater while trying to help. 

The kids were unharmed and were helped to safety by bystanders, including Woonona father and son Phil and Jarryd Green.

A large-scale search was mounted, first by onlookers and then by a team of police, police divers, SES volunteers and the Westpac Life Saver 3 Helicopter.

Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopters chief Stephen Leahy said fast-flowing and dirty water had hampered search efforts.

‘‘There has been a lot of rain in the area, and the water is flowing faster than normal, but it’s just also really dirty,’’ he said.

More than 44 hours after the man vanished, the body of a man, believed to be the 38-year-old, was found.

The identity of the man has not been released but a woman, who said she was a neighbour, said he was of Indian descent.

‘‘He is an Indian man. They are my neighbours – they are such a beautiful family,’’ the woman wrote on the Mercury’s Facebook page.

‘‘It’s very sad and hard to believe this has happened.’’

A report will be prepared for the coroner.