A local who saw a dead woman lying face-down, covered in blood on a Sydney beach, says she had a stab wound in her back and was clutching a shard of glass, as they raise concerns she may have been the victim of an attack.
The body of the young woman, who appeared to be in her late teens or early 20s, was found by surfers and swimmers at Mona Vale Beach, in the city’s Northern Beaches, on Thursday morning.
Her body reportedly had multiple knife wounds, but police have not ruled out that her death may be related to self-harm.
A local man, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Daily Mail that he awoke to the sounds of sirens sometime between 5am and 5.30am.
He went down to the beach to discover the area taped off and teeming with police and paramedics.
However, despite the area being cordoned off, the man was able to see the woman’s body lying on the beach with her head face-down in the sand.
Rather than swimwear, she was dressed in casual day attire, including brown ankle boots, a brown skirt, and a white top, and her black handbag was placed next to her.
‘She had a wound on her back, you could see the rip in her shirt and blood pooling on the back of her shirt,’ he said.
An investigation is underway after a woman was found dead on a Mona Vale beach on Thursday
Detectives were seen searching through a silver car parked on the beach
A mattress could be seen in the back of the vehicle, alongside a sleeping bag and rolled up yoga mat
The beach remained closed for hours as detectives scoured the scene
Locals say the beach where the woman was found is a popular area for swimmers during the early morning hours due to its flat conditions
A dress and head scarf could be seen laid out on the mattress in the back of the car
‘There was a shard of glass in her hand, by her face [too].
‘It doesn’t make sense to me that anyone could stab themselves in the back.’
The man’s claims about what he witnessed were verified through photographs the Daily Mail has seen but chosen not to publish.
Police were seen rummaging through a silver Toyota Corolla station wagon with a red P-Plate parked in the cordoned-off zone as they examined the scene.
A thin mattress covered in a yellow sheet, with a bundled-up sleeping bag sitting on top, could be seen lying in the back of the car.
The man, who lives just metres away from the beach, said the area has become popular with transients as a new amenities block, featuring hot water showers, was recently erected near the carpark.
He said people passing through Mona Vale often camp overnight in the car park so they can go for a swim and use the bathrooms and barbeque before continuing on their travels.
While the new facility offers great benefits, the man said locals have been concerned about the lack of lighting at the toilet block.
Surfers and early risers stumbled across the woman’s body lying on the sand and immediately raised the alarm
The woman has yet to be formally identified
It’s understood police have not ruled out self-harm
He said has often seen a group of middle aged men lurking around the facility at night time, which has sparked safety fears among the community.
‘I’m a man in my 50s and even I have been intimidated by the men hanging out there,’ he said.
‘I can only imagine how daunting it must be for women camping in the area.’
Locals told the Daily Mail the beach was quiet this morning as the carpark remained closed off, with only a handful of people seen in the surf.
‘My son heard about what happened on the news this morning and told us,’ a couple said.
‘Otherwise we haven’t heard anything else about it.’
The Daily Mail understands the area where the woman was found, called Basin Beach, is a popular swimming area for early risers and older residents, as the water conditions are typically flat.
Locals said a group of swimmers normally swim across the basin and back every morning.
Police remained at the beach for almost six hours on Thursday, with officers seen carrying brown paper bags up the beach before placing them into their vehicles.
Detectives dismantled the scene at 11am, with dozens of locals seen arriving at the beach as the car park reopened.
the area where she was found is heavily monitored by security cameras, with cops seen collecting CCTV from surrounding homes.
Investigations into the incident continue.
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