The friends of a Sri Lankan man who disappeared in the Upper Ord River while cliff jumping thought he was “mucking around” when his body briefly resurfaced after taking a 19 to 20m plunge.
Senior Sergeant Steve Principe said 28-year-old Oshan Janaka Kumara Jayasooriya Mudiyanselag, known around Kununurra as Oshan Janaka, had travelled up river to Carlton Gorge with four friends on Sunday morning at about 10am.
“They were there to have a jump off the cliff face,” he said. “He’s (Mr Janaka) jumped off the top feet first and gone straight under and stayed there for up to 20 seconds and was seen to float back, arms out, faced down on top of the water and sunk straight after that.
“His friends thought he was mucking around.”
Sen. Sgt Principe said one of Mr Janaka’s friends jumped from the same height into the water when he realised something was wrong but couldn’t find him.
“They stayed there to try spot him in the water... for 40 minutes and headed back to Swim Beach (near Kununurra’s diversion dam) to get in mobile phone range to call authorities,” he said.
Janaka’s family in Sri Lanka have been notified and Sen. Sgt Principe said they were “shattered”.
Three boats continued the search for Mr Janaka today and police divers will arrive in Kununurra this afternoon.
The divers will prepare their gear today and head out tomorrow morning to the site Mr Janaka was last seen to search the river floor.
-news.com.au
-Agencies
