A 36-year-old man has been arrested after a young girl was thrown from a 58-metre high section of the West Gate Bridge into the Yarra River.
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Police are questioning the Hawthorn man, who was arrested in the Melbourne CBD about 10.30am.
Did you see the incident or do you know more? Email us: scoop@theage.com.au.
The man, believed to be the father of the girl, was arrested outside the Commonwealth Law Courts building at the corner of La Trobe and William streets.
The Age believes he had gone with his two other children to the building.
A witness at the court told The Age that the man and his two children were in a "distressed state''.
A couple who saw the man at the entrance of the court building said he was with two young boys aged about five or six.
One of the witnesses said the man was shaking uncontrollably and looked like he was "about to have a nervous breakdown''.
About half-an-hour later, the couple saw the arrival of a woman they believed to be the mother of the two boys, who subsequently took them away.
Another witness saw four police officers, two of them holding evidence bags, lead the handcuffed man to a waiting divisional van.
The man, who she described as balding, was "shaking violently".
The Age believes the family was part of a family law dispute in the Federal Magistrates Court earlier this week, and the man returned to the court unexpectedly this morning.
A caller to Radio 3AW said he saw four or five police, including one with his gun drawn, surround a man on the ground outside the court building.
Paramedics this morning spent 45 minutes working to resuscitate the girl, aged about 5, who police believe was hurled from the bridge about 9am.
Witnesses have told police a man driving in the inbound lane of the Westgate Freeway pulled up near the top of the
bridge and threw the child into the water below.
The girl was pulled from the water close to the western bank of the river on the northern side of the bridge about 9.15am.
Water police and air ambulance units were involved in her rescue.
Homicide squad detectives are travelling to the bridge to take over the investigation.
The inbound left-hand lane of the freeway has been closed for about 500m on the approach to the top of the bridge.
with Erdem Koch.
For help or information call Lifeline on 131 114 or visit www.beyondblue.org.au.
