A desperate search is underway for a mother and newborn baby after the discovery of a placenta and umbilical cord near a riverbank in suburban Sydney.
Police divers arrived at the Cooks River in Earlwood, about 10km south-west of the city centre, on Tuesday morning as part of a major search to locate the unidentified woman and her baby.
Emergency services were called to the site, near a popular riverside walking path, on Monday afternoon after a resident with his dog found evidence of a birth.
Police say tests on the placenta and umbilical cord have shown they came from a human, and there are serious concerns for the welfare of both the woman and her child.
Authorities are urging the mother to go to the nearest hospital for emergency care.
A massive search of the area was conducted overnight and an area near Lang Rd remained cordoned off on Tuesday.
Investigators also searched a grassy area outside the Canterbury Rugby Union Club.
The nearby pedestrian bridge over the river is widely used by local walkers, joggers and cyclists.
The location is less than 2.5 miles from Canterbury Hospital.
Chief Inspector Christine McDonald said lights were turned on on Monday evening to enable the search.
“It is clear that our search will hopefully reveal what took place; whether the delivery of that child took place at this location or another location is yet to be determined,” she said.
'It is very important and extremely urgent that we find the mother and child as quickly as possible.
'We ask if she goes to a hospital. We will contact hospitals.”
Police did not yet suspect the baby was in the river, Supt McDonald added.
“At this stage our main concern is for the whereabouts of the mother and child,” she said.
“We are doing everything we can and that is why we are appealing for people to come forward. We see that as a very urgent matter for us to find her and her child, hopefully safe and healthy.”
The Cooks River flows from Yagoona in the far south west of Sydney and empties into Botany Bay at Kyeemagh, 23 km away.
Sections are heavily polluted due to traffic congestion, litter, sewage, illegal dumping and industrial and domestic activities.
A number of clean-up campaigns in Sydney have targeted the waterway, with low-lying areas also prone to flooding.