Mystery over how boy, 4, died after his body was found in a swimming pool but didn’t drown 

A murder investigation has been launched into the death of a four-year-old boy whose body was found in a swimming pool at a Queensland home, after drowning was ruled out as his cause of death. 

Queensland police announced it had commenced investigations into the death of Tarrin-Macen O’Sullivan at about 5pm on Sunday, August 29, at Munburra, south-west of Mackay in north Queensland. 

It was originally reported to the police that the boy had drowned after he was pulled unresponsive from a residential pool. He died two hours later in hospital.

But a post-mortem and scientific examination had now indicated the cause of death was inconsistent with drowning, police said, and so a homicide investigation had commenced.  

‘Mackay Detectives from the Child Protection Investigation Unit’s (CPIU) State Child Trauma Unit are conducting the ongoing investigation,’ police said in a statement.

‘Police are appealing for anyone who may have further information which may assist with investigations, to contact them.’

The boy’s father, Andrew O’Sullivan, had earlier told the Daily Mercury that Tarrin-Macen was level 1 autistic and lived with his mother in Munburra.

Mr O’Sullivan, who lives in Mackay, had not seen the boy for eight months.

‘He could do things with phones most kids couldn’t dream of,’ he said.

‘But he had a temper – oh boy did he have a temper – and that was escalated a lot more because of his condition.

‘But you couldn’t stay angry at the child.’

Mr O’Sullivan said the family had moved from Leeton, in NSW, to the Mackay area to access better support for Tarrin-Macen’s condition. 

‘I’m just so sad that I’m never going to be able to see him again,’ he said.