Murder in paradise: 87-year-old dies in Noosa’s Hastings Street after random attack
Tourism Mecca Noosa has been rocked by the death of an 87-year-old man who was allegedly attacked while walking near Hastings Street.
A crime scene has been established in the popular tourism region.(ABC News: Josh Dye)
After what police have described as a random attack, police later arrested a 27-year-old man nearby and he is now in custody, assisting them with investigations.
It’s believed the two men are not known to each other, the ABC reports.
“Approximately 6am this morning, bystanders have located an 87-year-old-male person unconscious with injuries consistent with being assaulted. Unfortunately, the male person has died at the scene,” Sunshine Coast detective Inspector Chris Toohey said.
Beachgoers at the popular tourist spot were shocked by the grisly scene. Caroline Clarke and her friend found the victim laying on the ground.
“I just arrived 10 minutes after it happened, the guy was bleeding and CPR was being performed on him when we arrived,” Noosa local Ms Clarke said.
“A friend of mine was doing CPR, she’s a nurse. They just stumbled across him, he was lying on the ground.”
Police say the 87-year-old man was local to the Noosa area and his body was found near the boardwalk at Noosa Woods on the northern end of Hastings Street.
“It’s tragic circumstances for an elderly man going out for his morning walk. The injuries were quite severe to his face, and he was lying face-up, down on the concrete path,” Detective Inspector Toohey told the ABC.
Crime scene tape surrounds a large area along parts of Main Beach and into the Noosa Woods car park area. Members of the public who parked in the spot before it was taped off were escorted to their vehicles.
A drone was also launched while police divers searched the ocean around Main Beach and the rocks near the first groyne.
Police say the 27-year-old man in custody was located about 100 metres from the scene of the assault.
“[I] just saw a naked guy along the beach and he got arrested and they put a towel around him and put him in the paddy wagon,” Ms Clarke recalled.
“We saw a policeman taking a picture of a guy who had bloody cloth, kind of like a face towel, that was just kind of covered in blood,” beachgoer Askin Battley told the ABC.
The man said he saw police collecting evidence this morning. Police are urging anyone who was in the area this morning that may have seen something to come forward. They’re also appealing for anyone with CCTV footage from midnight to 6am to get in contact by calling Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
