Man Cried for Help Before River Drowning, Coroner Told

A young Indigenous man was caught up in a stolen car pursuit before drowning in an attempt to evade police by crossing a river, a coroner has heard. Robert “Robbie” Malayta, 18, was found dead by police divers in the Ross River near the Townsville suburb of Kirwan in north Queensland at 11.48am on February 25, 2022. During a pre-inquest conference in Brisbane on Tuesday, coroner Terry Ryan heard that Mr. Malayta had fled in a stolen red Toyota Corolla driven by his older brother Shakur McLennan in the early hours of February 24. Counsel assisting Carolyn McKeon said it was likely Mr. Malayta and Mr. McLennan entered the river via a jetty within three or four minutes of leaving the Toyota....