An 87-year-old man has died after being attacked in Noosa Heads. Source: Kgbo, Wikimedia Commons
An 87-year-old man has died after being attacked while walking near Main Beach, Noosa Heads this morning.
Police have put a 27-year-old man who was located nearby in custody, where he is assisting in investigations.
Police believe that the attacker did not know the victim, and that it was a random attack.
Sunshine Coast detective Inspector Chris Toohey said, “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.”
Locals and tourists at the popular spot who witnessed the scene were shocked at what they saw, with one local telling ABC News, “I just arrived 10 minutes after it happened, the guy was bleeding and CPR was being performed on him when we arrived.”
“A friend of mine was doing CPR, she’s a nurse. They just stumbled across him, he was lying on the ground.”
The 87-year-old man was a Noosa local, and his body was found near a boardwalk on the northern end of Hastings Street, according to police.
“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 said.
A crime scene has been established, encompassing parts of Main Beach and the Noosa Woods car park area.
A drone was launched while police divers searched the ocean around Main Beach for evidence.
The 27-year-old man who went into custody was located around 100 metres from the scene.
Police are urging for anyone in the area who may have seen something to come forward. Police are also appealing for anyone with CCTV footage between midnight and 6am to call crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.
