WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT
According to South Australia police, the deaths of a man and baby girl who fell off a dam near the Barossa Valley is a suspected murder-suicide.
The father, believed to be 38-year-old Henry Shepherdson, jumped off the wall of the Whispering Wall dam with his nine-month-old daughter Kobi in a child carrier, according to witness reports.
Police said emergency services were called about 4.30pm on Wednesday in Williamstown where they found the deceased man and the baby unresponsive.
In a statement, the police said, ‘Detectives from Barossa CIB and Major Crime Investigations Branch, along with forensic crime scene investigators attended the scene to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.’
‘Witnesses reported seeing a man with an infant in a child carrier jump off the wall.’
Though paramedics attempted to revive the baby, she could not be saved and passed away at the scene.
‘Although a formal identification has not yet been completed, police believe the man to be Henry Shepherdson aged 38 and his daughter Kobi Shepherdson aged nine months.’
According to a police statement, early investigations showed a history of domestic violence between Mr Shepherdson and Kobi’s mother but that the child had not been taken from the mother.
South Australian Police Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott said, ‘We have been notified of some domestic violence incidents reports in relation to this family.’
‘The baby was not taken but … there was a very short time frame of the public having notified us that the incident had occurred and Kobi’s mother contacting triple zero,’ Mr Parrott said.
Kobi’s mother provided images for the media to use, but has asked for privacy.
News of the tragedy shocked the town, located 50 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, and first responders and emergency service members.
‘This is a highly distressing and emotional incident that has and is affecting people who witnessed the incident, those who tried to help Kobi, emergency services personnel, family and friends,’ the statement read.
The statement also mentioned that police ‘are supporting those impacted by this incident.’
The 35-metre-high Whispering Wall is the retaining wall of the Barossa Reservoir, according to its website.
The reservoir remained closed on Thursday.
Police said no one else was being sought over the deaths and that they are preparing a report for the South Australian Coroner.
