baby found on the beach — Maroubra

Two young children attending their usual Sunday morning junior life saving events — known as Nippers — made the gruesome discovery around 10am while digging in the sand at the south end of the beach.

The two boys, aged 6 and 7, alerted their father who then called police.

A crime scene was established a short time later and police and lifesavers evacuated the area.

Sydney police confirmed the discovery at a media conference around 1.15pm and said the children and parents involved in this morning’s events were receiving counselling from the surf life saving club.

It is a “tragic event” and everyone involved is “very upset”, a police spokesman said.

The body of the baby was buried under around 30cm of sand around 20-30 metres away from the water’s edge. The age and sex of the child was unable to be determined due to the decomposition of the body. The child had no blankets with it. There are grave concerns for the wellbeing of the child’s mother.

Police and lifeguards quietly secure the area where the body was found. Source: News Corp Australia

Police are now canvassing the area for CCTV footage to try to determine when the body was buried. A police spokesman said there was some decomposition which suggested the body could have been there for days.

The high temperature and winds were making investigations difficult however police hoped door knocking, hospital records and CCTV footage would provide vital clues as to the identity of the child’s parents.

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.