River deaths of couple unexplained

Sep 3 2012

A man and woman found dead in a river after a police search were a couple in their 40s from the Surrey area, police have said.

Officers cordoned off a stretch of the River Bure between Wroxham Broad and Salhouse Broad, Norfolk, after a 13-year-old girl was found alone on a rented boat on Saturday.

They found the bodies of the couple in the river on Sunday.

Officers are treating the deaths as unexplained but are not looking for anybody else in connection with the inquiry.

Detective Superintendent Jes Fry, of the joint Norfolk and Suffolk major investigation team, who is overseeing the investigation, said: "We continue to investigate this tragic event.

"Our main consideration is the welfare of the 13-year-old girl and whilst I cannot speculate on the circumstances surrounding the deaths before I have received the results of the post-mortems, initial investigations confirm that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident."

The woman is believed to be the girl's mother while the man was described as her partner.

The coroner has been informed and Home Office post-mortem examinations are being carried out to establish the cause of death.

The search began after a member of the public realised a hire boat had not been returned. Police later found the boat moored to a tree near Salhouse Little Broad. A 13-year-old girl who was discovered on board was unharmed.

The girl spent the evening in protective police custody and has been informed of the developments. She is currently being comforted by relatives. The boat has been recovered and returned to a boat yard at Horning where it will be examined.