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UPDATE | Police Divers Search Dam For Statue Of Little Drowning Victim

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Image Supplied 

UPDATE | Tuesday's dive search of Mount Morgan Dam has failed to locate the missing memorial statue of Jared Bannah.

Local SES will commence a search of bush land surrounding the dam at 4.30PM on Wednesday, coordinated by Mount Morgan police.

EARLIER | Police divers will search Mount Morgan Dam for a statue of a little drowning victim after receiving a tip off from a member of the public.

The memorial statue, made in the likeness of 6-year-old Jared Bannah, was stolen from the park at the end of last year.

Police have said on Tuesday that there has been an overwhelming response to last week’s public appeal to help locate the missing memorial dedicated to Jared Bannah, who drowned in the dam in 2015.

A public appeal was launched on Friday.

Officer in charge of Mount Morgan station Sergeant Ricky Zimitat said since making the appeal with the support of Jared’s family, local police had been inundated with phone calls.

“We’ve received a number of possible leads as to where the memorial may be located, however at this stage we are concentrating on the dam,” Sergeant Zimitat said.

“There has been an overwhelming amount of community support for Jared’s family, including offers of financial assistance to have a new statue made.

“However as part of our commitment to return the original statue safely we are utilising police divers today to canvass areas of interest within the waterway.”

Jared’s parents Andrew and Tereasa Bannah continued to be updated by police and have extended their thanks to the community for their ongoing support.

“The memorial is of great significance to us and to so many others who care about us, and it would mean a great deal to have it returned safely.”

Police are continuing to urge anyone who may have information as to the whereabouts of the statue to come forward.

Members of the public are also being advised that whilst community support is appreciated, to please not conduct their own searches of the Mount Morgan Dam for the statue for safety reasons.

EARLIER | Police have launched a public appeal to locate the memorial statue of a little boy who drowned at Mount Morgan dam which was stolen from a park at the end of 2018.

Thieves went to the park at Mount Morgan dam on Byrnes Parade sometime between November 30 and December 2, 2018 and took the statue depicting 6-year-old Jared Bannah, who sadly lost his life in 2015.

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Jared Bannah.  Image Supplied by family

The memorial statue was erected in 2015 and paid for by a member of the public for the family to commemorate the tragedy.

The statue (pictured at top) is a resin cast of a child painted bronze, weighs around 20 kilograms and stands around one metre tall.

The child is sitting cross legged holding a mason jar and was positioned on a rock plinth.

Preliminary information suggests that statue was last seen by a member of public on the evening of the November 30.

Jared Bannah.  Image Supplied by family

Officer in charge of Mount Morgan station Sergeant Ricky Zimitat has urged anyone who may have information as to the whereabouts of the statue to come forward.

“The family and the community need answers and a resolution to an already set of tragic circumstances of events,” Sergeant Zimitat said.

“Nearly three years after the death of their son, the Bannah family have now had to endure the heart ache of Jared’s statue being removed,” he said.

“The safe recovery of this memorial remains paramount so if the people who took it have a conscience and want to advise authorities where it can be found they can do so anonymously by contacting Policelink or Crime Stoppers.”

Jared Bannah.  Image Supplied by family