VIC: Crew finds nothing in water search for missing boy

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2008
VIC: Crew finds nothing in water search for missing boy

MELBOURNE, Aug 10 AAP - A desperate search of Melbourne's Yarra River for missing nine-year-old
Yadav Munohur has yielded "nothing of interest," police say.

Water police today scoured both banks of the river from Williamstown to Dights Falls
in search of Yadav, who disappeared from his Hawthorn home last Thursday, Sergeant Dave
Spencer of Victoria Police said today.

Police air wing, water crews and State Emergency Service volunteers have spent days
combing Gardiner's Creek and the Yarra for signs of the missing boy using sonar equipment.

Today the search was limited to a single water police crew.

"It was a visual search," Sgt Spencer said.

Yadav was last seen leaving home towards a park near the Kooyong tennis stadium about
5.30pm on Thursday, July 7.

The Auburn South primary school student was wearing a dark blue jacket with green stripes,
blue tracksuit pants, a blue and white chequered shirt and blue slippers at the time he
disappeared.

The focus of the police investigation was initially at Gardiner's Creek near the park,
which is known to flood rapidly after rain.

Police held grave fears for Yadav's safety after Thursday night when temperatures plummeted
and rain caused heavy currents in the creek to swell by two metres.

Yadav has only lived in Australia since March, when his family migrated from Mauritius.

His family adopted him as an orphan in Mumbai two years ago, a fact police have hoped
will give him the resources to stay safe.

AAP ees/jt/mn

KEYWORD: MUNOHUR

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