Fishing Teen Drowns In River

[mrmoshe]

Fishing teen drowns in river

JOSHUA MacFarlane was enjoying a typical outdoor Australian summer fishing with his mates before a quick swim across a river turned to tragedy.

The 15-year-old drowned after he was washed over a weir in the Macquarie River at Dubbo, in the state's Central West, in a torrent of water released from a dam upstream.

His devastated family yesterday spoke out to warn other youngsters who use rivers as their holiday playground of the hidden dangers of weirs - which are almost invisible at water level.

Joshua (pictured), who was a popular teenager with a love of motorbikes and fishing, vanished during what was supposed to be a short swim on Tuesday about 2pm.

A massive search involving police, SES and Volunteer Rescue Association personnel and local council officers was launched after his friends and several witnesses reported him missing.

Volunteer rescue workers found his body yesterday. His devastated family was yesterday seeking solace in the knowledge he was doing something he enjoyed.

"He was actually down at the river doing something he loved, he was fishing with his mates," his devastated mother Janelle MacFarlane said yesterday. "It is every mother's worst nightmare and unfortunately now it has happened to me."

Mrs MacFarlane said Joshua adored his brothers, aged nine and 10, and his three-year-old sister.

Joshua's family was on the banks of the Macquarie River when police found his body at 10am yesterday, 20 hours after he went missing.

A police spokeswoman said the discovery was made 20m downstream from the South Dubbo weir.

Joshua's father said the river had risen after water was released from nearby Burrendong dam on Saturday.

"They released 1.5m of water from the dam," he said.

"We have had a long night and this morning was the worst moment."

Mrs MacFarlane yesterday warned other children to be wary of swimming near weirs.

"(They) are very dangerous places . . . I just want to get the message across and to get his picture out," Mrs MacFarlane said.

The police spokeswoman said it appeared Joshua, a Dubbo High School south campus student, had been trying to swim across the river.

Police said local volunteer rescue association personnel and state emergency volunteers had been involved in the search for Joshua.

The spokeswoman said the MacFarlane family was cared for by ambulance workers at the river's edge after their son's body was recovered.

Many of Joshua's shocked school friends were at his home yesterday comforting his grieving family.