Placenta and umbilical cord found on Earlwood riverbank
A heart-breaking discovery has turned into a desperate search for a mother who's thought to have given birth along a river in Sydney’s inner-west. A man found the placenta and an umbilical cord yesterday afternoon while he was out walking in Earlwood. Authorities are now pleading for the mother to go to hospital stressing she won't be in trouble and that her safety and that of the child is their main concern.
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00:00Along the banks of Sydney's Cooks River are clues that point to a possible birth in the
00:07mud.
00:08Police have confirmed that the placenta and umbilical cord found by a man walking his
00:12dog on Monday afternoon are human.
00:15The placenta and umbilical cord has been sent for priority testing this morning.
00:19We're working against the clock in relation to the tidal flow of the river.
00:23So far, there are no other signs of the mother or child.
00:27I don't think anyone could even begin to imagine what this mother is going through.
00:32Specialised sniffer dogs were deployed to search for any blood or other fluids but were
00:37only able to find a buried cat.
00:40Divers searched by the river's mangroves for other clues while authorities issued this
00:45message to the mother.
00:47There is no judgement.
00:49They need to know that we are concerned for them.
00:54That we are wanting to know that they are safe.
00:57You're not in trouble.
00:58You don't have to talk to the police.
01:01The only thing I ask that you do is make your way to one of our hospitals so that we can
01:07care for you and your baby as quickly as possible.
01:12This area of Earlwood is known for the picturesque bike path and the pedestrian track that runs
01:16along the river.
01:18But today, residents have had to share that space with dozens of investigators and officers
01:23from specialised units.
01:25It's a shocking news for me.
01:29I've never heard something like that before.
01:31This is one of the most beautiful walks in Sydney and to hear this on the news was really
01:41tragic and really sad.
01:43Police have now left the scene but will continue door knocking and searching for answers.