Disturbing twist after young woman is found dead at Mona Vale beach
A local who saw a dead woman lying face-down, covered in blood on a Sydney beach has raised concerns she may have been the victim of an attack.The body of the 24-year-old was found by surfers and swimmers at Mona Vale Beach, in the city's Northern Beaches, on Thursday morning.Her body reportedly had multiple knife wounds, with detectives initially called to the scene not ruling out the possibility of self-harm.A local man, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Daily Mail that he awoke to the sounds of sirens sometime between 5am and 5.30am.He went down to the beach to discover the area taped off and teeming with police and paramedics.However, despite the area being cordoned off, the man was able to see the woman's body lying on the beach with her head face-down in the sand.She was dressed in casual day attire, including brown ankle boots, a brown skirt, and a white top, and her black handbag was placed next to her.'She had a wound on her back, you could see the rip in her shirt and blood pooling on the back of her shirt,' he said.'There was a shard of glass in her hand, by her face [too]. An investigation is underway after a woman was found dead on a Mona Vale beach on Thursday Detectives were seen searching through a silver car parked on the beach A mattress could be seen in the back of the vehicle, alongside a sleeping bag and rolled up yoga mat The beach remained closed for hours as detectives scoured the scene Locals say the beach where the woman was found is a popular area for swimmers during the early morning hours due to its flat conditions A dress and head scarf could be seen laid out on the mattress in the back of the car 'It doesn't make sense to me.'The man, who lives just metres away from the beach, said the area has become popular with transients as a new amenities block, featuring hot water showers, was recently erected near the carpark. He said people passing through Mona Vale often camp overnight in the car park so they can go for a swim and use the bathrooms and barbeque before continuing on their travels. While the new facility offers great benefits, the man said locals have been concerned about the lack of lighting at the toilet block.He said has often seen a group of middle aged men lurking around the facility at night time, which has sparked safety fears among the community. 'I'm a man in my 50s and even I have been intimidated by the men hanging out there,' he said.'I can only imagine how daunting it must be for women camping in the area.' Police have since confirmed that the matter is now definitively being treated as a self-harm incident. Surfers and early risers stumbled across the woman's body lying on the sand and immediately raised the alarm The woman has yet to be formally identified It's understood police have not ruled out self-harmEarlier on Thursday, cops were seen rummaging through a silver Toyota Corolla station wagon with a red P-Plate parked in the cordoned-off zone as they examined the scene.A thin mattress covered in a yellow sheet, with a bundled-up sleeping bag sitting on top, could be seen lying in the back of the car.The Daily Mail understands the woman who passed away was local to the area and her family have been notified. The area where the woman was found, called Basin Beach, is a popular swimming area for early risers and older residents, as the water conditions are typically flat.Locals said a group of swimmers normally swim across the basin and back every morning. Locals told the Daily Mail the beach was quiet this morning as the carpark remained closed off, with only a handful of people seen in the surf. 'My son heard about what happened on the news this morning and told us,' a couple said. 'Otherwise we haven't heard anything else about it.'Police remained at the beach for almost six hours on Thursday, with officers seen carrying brown paper bags up the beach before placing them into their vehicles.Detectives dismantled the scene at 11am, with dozens of locals seen arriving at the beach as the car park reopened. The area where she was found is heavily monitored by security cameras, with cops seen collecting CCTV from surrounding homes. A report will be prepared for the coroner. For confidential support 24/7, contact Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline: 13 11 14
