Ex-Storm and Queensland great suffers shocking blow Relative, 40, drowned in dam near Mackay, Queensland Police say he was heroically saving girl’s life at the time
Billy Slater has suffered a shocking family tragedy after his brother-in-law drowned while saving his daughter’s life when she fell from their boat in a Queensland dam last weekend.
Father-of-four Ryan Craig – who is married to Slater’s older sister Sheena – died in Kinchant Dam near Mackay on Saturday when the boat he and his family were on broke down and he went into the water to rescue his daughter.
Slater (pictured with wife Nicole) has suffered a shattering blow with the news that his brother-in-law has drowned while performing a heroic act in a Queensland dam
The footy legend’s relative Ryan Craig (pictured with his family) is being credited with saving his nine-year-old daughter’s life last Saturday
The nine-year-old was later pulled safe and well from the dam but Craig’s body was not recovered until Monday morning.
Queensland Police have not released the full circumstances of what occurred but Inspector Glenn Cameron said preliminary investigations have revealed ‘the actions of the man who is now deceased saved his young daughter’s life’.
He added that the Craig family is ‘devastated’ by the incident.
Craig, 40, who hailed from North Eton near Mackay, went missing after he and his daughter fell from a broken-down boat.
The Craig family (pictured) are ‘devastated’ by their loss, Queensland Police Inspector Glenn Cameron said
Pictured: Search and rescue boats search for Craig after he went missing on Saturday at Kinchant Dam, about 35km west of the Queensland town of Mackay
She was later pulled from the water but water police and specialist divers mounted a desperate search for her father, including seven boats armed with sonar devices, but failed to find any trace until his body was recovered on Monday.
Inspector Cameron said the girl was brought to safety by a jet ski rider and was taken to Mackay Base Hospital as a precaution, according to Seven News.
Cameron added that the question of whether Craig and his daughter were wearing life jackets will be part of the police investigation.
‘Our thoughts are with the family who’ve lost a loved one in these tragic circumstances,’ he said.
‘We never want to see something like this happen.’
MORE TO COME…