MORETON ISLAND, Qld: A suspected murder investigation is underway following the discovery of a young woman’s naked body beneath a yacht anchored near Lucinda Bay, east of Brisbane.
The unidentified woman was found bound with rope and caught against the yacht’s propeller early this morning. Police have described the circumstances surrounding the discovery as highly unusual and are treating the death as suspicious.
Yachtsman Neil Lundy discovered the body after hearing an unexplained noise beneath his vessel. Lundy said the yacht had been anchored overnight when he and others aboard heard something strike the underside of its hull.
“We heard a bump under her [the yacht] and wondered what it was,” Lundy said.
Believing the noise may have been caused by floating debris or a rope becoming tangled around the propeller, he entered the water to investigate. Visibility beneath the yacht was poor, and Lundy initially saw only a length of rope wrapped around the propeller shaft.
“I got under it and saw some rope wrapped around the prop. I freed it, and a body popped up. I’ll never forget those eyes,” he said.
Those aboard the yacht immediately contacted authorities. Police were dispatched to the area, and a section of water surrounding the vessel was secured while investigators began examining the scene.
The yacht and its occupants are assisting police with their inquiries. There is no suggestion that Lundy or anyone travelling with him was involved in the woman’s death.
Police have not confirmed how long the body had been in the water or whether the woman died at sea. The positioning of the rope and the effect of tides around Moreton Island will form part of the investigation.
Detectives are also attempting to determine whether the body drifted into Lucinda Bay from another location or was deliberately placed in the area. Boats known to have travelled through nearby waters are expected to be identified as police reconstruct movements around the island.
The victim is believed to have been in her late teens or early twenties. Her name has not been established, and police have released no further description that could assist with her identification.
Authorities have checked accommodation providers, camping areas and organised tourist groups on Moreton Island. All known visitors have been accounted for, and no one matching the woman’s description has been reported missing locally.
Investigators are expected to compare the victim’s details with missing-person reports from Brisbane, the Gold Coast and other coastal communities. Police may also seek information from marinas, ferry operators, fishing vessels and recreational boat owners who were in the region before the discovery.
Forensic examination will be required to establish the cause and approximate time of death. Investigators will also examine the rope, the woman’s injuries and any material recovered from the body for evidence indicating where she may have entered the water.
News of the discovery has unsettled visitors and boat owners in the normally quiet anchorage. Lucinda Bay is regularly used by recreational sailors seeking shelter near Moreton Island, particularly during overnight stays.
Police are appealing to anyone who noticed suspicious activity on or near the water, including unusual boat movements, abandoned belongings or a vessel travelling without lights, to contact investigators.
They are particularly interested in photographs or video taken by visitors in the area, as background details may have captured a boat or person connected with the woman’s death.
No arrests have been made, and police say it is too early to determine precisely what happened.
Investigations are continuing on Moreton Island and throughout the surrounding waterways.
–Michael (Dark Fiction. Author of SEETHINGS (the first book), free for a limited time)
SEETHINGS II follows the return of the Storm Killer as a body on a secluded beach in Moreton Bay, igniting fear and denial. While police dismiss the link, the media doesn’t. Mitchell Felding forms a dangerous bond with a man who understands his darkest impulses. When Natasha enters his life, carrying love letters from her murdered mother, intimacy deepens, and truth closes in. Some futures are inherited. Some have escaped.
Discover more from Michael Forman – Author of Dark Fiction & Drama
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