A man and his 11-year-old daughter have drowned at a popular swimming spot in the Murrumbidgee River, south of Canberra.
Police were called to the scene about 2:20pm yesterday, after the 48-year-old man's other daughter, a 14-year-old, called for assistance.
On arrival, they pulled the man from the water and commenced CPR but could not revive him. His daughter's body was later found hundreds of metres downstream.
Detective Acting Inspector Simon Coady said it appeared the man had entered the water to try and rescue his daughter.
"It appears as though the daughter had struggled with some swimming, the father has gone in to assist, and unfortunately both have been unable to get themselves to the shore," he said.
"There was another family member, another daughter, present and she's the one who called for assistance from police."
Even after the man and his daughter had been pulled from the water, a line of police vehicles — some towing water-rescue vehicles like jet-skis — and ambulances remained on the dirt road leading to the Tharwa Sandwash.
The area is a popular swimming spot on the Murrumbidgee River, just a few minutes south of Tharwa, and about 15 minutes south of Canberra's southern suburbs.
Police remained there until late in the evening, continuing investigative work into how the drowning occurred.
While the river is quite full, the swimming spot appeared calm on the surface at the time of the deaths.
Inspector Coady said it was too early to comment on whether the water conditions had been dangerous at the time.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
