11 Y.O. NSW Boy Found Dead After Reportedly Being Swept Into Storm Drain

Ryan Teasdale disappeared while riding a boogie board on the muddy slopes of Riley Park, Unanderra during heavy rains, an activity which is popular with local children. Approximately a dozen other children, including Ryan’s older brother, were also present.

His body was located at a creekbed at the end of a storm drain. It is believed he was swept down there by the rain and slope. The drain is suspected to have been swept into does not have a grate. His board was not found.

One local woman reported during the search that she had seen the kids playing around with boogie boards on the hill when it happened. “We saw them, about 20 kids with their boogie boards, it’s something kids do there all the time. So devastating,” she wrote in a social media post.

Wollongong mayor Gordon Bradbery, fielding questions about the drain Ryan is believed to have fallen into, said that adding a grate was likely to increase flooding in the area – but conceded that more safety measures ought to be introduced. “The message is don’t go into stormwater, avoid it,” Bradbery said.

Inquiries into the death as well as a formal identification of the body will proceed over the next few days. A report will be prepared for the coroner.