Sydney, Australia: Search for missing mother and baby after umbilical cord found near river

Brisbane, Australia
CNN
—

The discovery of an umbilical cord and placenta in muddy mangroves near an Australian river has sparked a massive police search for a mother and her baby amid fears for their health.

A man walking his dog came across human blood and what appears to be the remains of a recent birth on the banks of the Cooks River in Sydney's west on Monday evening, New South Wales police say .

Police divers were searching the river and dogs would be deployed, Detective Chief Superintendent Christine McDonald said on Tuesday, as she appealed for information from anyone who may have seen a “woman in distress or a pregnant woman” in the region.

“For many people, childbirth can be a traumatic and very distressing time. I am deeply concerned for the safety and mental health of the mother as well as the safety of her baby,” she said.

A medical examiner was examining the placenta and cord as a priority, McDonald said, which could determine the baby's sex.

But it's not clear when or where the child was born, or how old he was at birth, McDonald said.

“The gestation period is unknown. It is not known how long he remained at the river bank. So there are a lot of unknowns at the moment,” she said.

“That is why we are asking anyone with information to help us with this investigation, as we are extremely concerned about the fate of a mother and her baby. And we want this resolved quickly.