A toddler has been found dead in a dam near his family’s homestead, days after wandering off on their vast remote Queensland cattle station.
Ruben Scott’s body was found by divers in the dam 100 metres from his home on Koolatah Station on Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula on Friday afternoon.
Missing toddler Ruben Scott’s body has been found in a cattle station dam https://t.co/KYoG2VFqov
— The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) June 7, 2019
Ruben had been last seen by his mother Natasha Scott at 5.44pm on Tuesday, June 4, sparking a frantic race against time to find the little boy.
His family, police officers, SES crews and people from neighbouring properties searched for the boy on foot, horseback and motorbike.
Seven helicopters and heat-seeking drones crisscrossed the 170,000sq km station.
#BREAKING: @QldPolice divers have found a body believed to be two-year-old boy Ruben Scott, who went missing on a remote Queensland property on Tuesday. https://t.co/sgYwmSnMJC pic.twitter.com/xqmWTSxR5p
— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) June 7, 2019
Divers searched the waterways, which are known crocodile habitats.
Late on Thursday, June 6, police told the toddler’s family too much time had passed for the two-year-old to have survived.
On Friday, June 7, Cape Patrol Inspector Mark Henderson vowed searchers would not give up looking for Ruben to give closure to his family.
Police divers have this afternoon found the body of missing two-year-old Ruben Scott, who vanished from a remote Cape York cattle station on Tuesday. https://t.co/oc3w8xd8qd
— Cairns Post (@TheCairnsPost) June 7, 2019
Ruben’s heartbroken grandfather Noel Scott said on Friday morning they were preparing for the worst.
Hours later, Ruben’s body was found.
The property backs onto a lagoon and the Mitchell River, east of Kowanyama, on the western side of Cape York Peninsula.
That’s why it’s really difficult to leave your child to another person’s care. Especially if the person your leaving your child to has some attention problem. https://t.co/SfJa9wyJ1e
— ruby (@REACHguam) June 7, 2019
Insp Henderson and Scott both thanked the volunteers and emergency personnel who joined the search.
News of Ruben’s death sparked an outpouring of condolences for the little boy’s family on his mum’s Facebook page.
#LIVE: @QLDPolice address the media after two-year-old Ruben Scott’s body was found by police divers. He disappeared from his home in Cape York on Tuesday: https://t.co/URXThnW3qo #9News https://t.co/GWoQwyGBRM
— Nine News Queensland (@9NewsQueensland) June 7, 2019