Body Of Missing 18-Year-Old Found In Ross River

Police have discovered the body of an 18-year-old man who ran into a north Queensland river on Thursday afternoon.

Police launched a full-scale land, water and air search last night including SES, water police and the Townsville rescue helicopter which turned up no sign of the teen. 

The search today revealed the body of the man in the Ross River in Townsville.

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A search was launched for the missing man after he failed to get in contact with family and friends.

According to police, the man entered the Ross River at around 3:30AM yesterday alongside a 22-year-old man.

The 22-year-old alerted the 18-year-old’s family to the incident who contacted police at around 6PM on the night of his disappearance. 

The man is believed to have entered the river while running from the police, who had been searching for a stolen vehicle.

Police had attempted to stop two vehicles they believed to be stolen using road spike at around 3:30AM on Riverway Drive.

According to police, the 18-year-old was inside one of the two stolen cars. 

Once the vehicles came to a stop, police say multiple people exited the cars and fled the scene. 

Police said two of the people who fled the scene on foot, entered the Ross River.

The 18-year-old man’s death is being recorded as a death during a police operation.

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