A police investigation was mounted on January 9 after an upturned kayak was found on Wentworth Falls Lake.
A police helicopter took to the skies to scan the body of the water, while a Police Rescue boat and diver searched the area where the kayak was discovered.
Blue Mountains crime manager, Detective Chief Inspector Dietmar Almer said about 11.30am on Tuesday January 9, police were alerted to the upturned kayak on the lake.
“Police attended and retrieved the kayak,” Inspector Almer said. “Police Rescue and the State Emergency Service, with the assistance of POLAIR, searched the lake and surrounding areas but nothing else of interest was located.”
A Top Notch Video cameraman took photos of the action and reported the “kayak was found floating on the lake … there was no person near the kayak, so a search commenced in case a person had become injured or missing in the water. No person was found.”
In other police news, police have received reports of multiple fraudulent automatic teller machine transactions within the past week, including one matter where about $6,000 was skimmed from an account.
Blue Mountains Police have asked the public to remember security is key when withdrawing cash from ATMs. The police advice remains to “always cover the keypad when entering your PIN, always maintain security of your card, be alert when using your cards to purchase goods or withdraw money, report any suspicious people to police, and regularly check bank statements and promptly report any irregularities to your financial institution”.
Anyone who has information regarding ATM skimming can contact Police or Crime Stoppers on either 1800 333 000 or via the online reporting page at https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/
Police are also looking into an alleged trespassing incident, At 9.40pm on Saturday December 30, police were called to Katoomba Street, Katoomba about possible trespassers. Police found a 34-year-old Lithgow woman inside the premises, along with a small amount of a white crystal substance believed to be prohibited drugs, a number of SIM cards, seven mobile phones, a tablet device and a laptop computer.
The woman was arrested and taken to Katoomba Police Station, where she was charged with the offences of Trespass, Possess Prohibited Drug, Goods in Custody, Steal from Dwelling and Larceny. She was refused bail by police, but given conditional bail at Parramatta Local Court and will appear in Lithgow Local Court on Thursday January 18.
Police have stepped up patrols at Hawkesbury Heights Lookout on Hawkesbury Road after receiving numerous complaints about bad driving. Patrols in the area late last year led to four young males being issued with defect notices on their cars between December 28 last year and January 2, 2018.
On December 28, a 17-year-old Winmalee driver was issued with several defect notices on his blue Nissan 200SX, the following day a Werrington County male was issued with defect notices on his Nissan Skyline, and later that evening another male, aged 22 and also from Werrington County was issued with defect notices on a red Subaru. A 21-year-old Minchinbury man capped off the police action on January 2 when he was also issued with defect notices on a black Honda Civic. Police will continue to target the area and are seeking assistance from the public to immediately contact the police whilst the vehicles are seen displaying bad driving behaviour at the location so that police crews can respond promptly to deal with the drivers.
In other police news, sometime between Saturday January 6 and Friday January 12 a blue Ford Falcon parked on the Great Western Highway, Mount Victoria, about 300m west of Station Street was stolen. The vehicle is a 1998 model, with registration plates CL03CB. Police are urging anyone who has seen the vehicle, or who has information regarding the theft of the vehicle, to contact Katoomba Police on 4782 8199 and quote reference number E67096642.
