Woman in Broads tragedy may have been strangled

Post-mortem tests on the man and woman, both in their 40s and from the Surrey area, were carried out yesterday. They found the woman died before entering the water, probably as the result of strangulation. The man died as the result of drowning, Norfolk Police said.

Officers had launched a search after finding the woman’s daughter, a 13-year-old girl, alone but unharmed on a cruiser on the Norfolk Broads on Saturday. The bodies were found in the River Bure.

Neither body has been formally identified but police said the man’s death was not being treated as suspicious.

Further forensic tests will be carried out on the woman’s body and could take up to 48 hours

Detective Superintendent Jes Fry, of the joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team, said: “Our concerns remain for the welfare of the 13-year-old girl.

“We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.”

Specialist river police found the 38ft Admiral hire craft on a stretch of the River Bure between Wroxham Broad and Salhouse Broad after being alerted by a boat rental company reporting that one of its vessels had not been returned on time.

Divers were deployed to search the river when officers found the woman’s 13-year-old daughter alone but unharmed on the cruiser.She is being cared for by family.

A mile-long stretch of the river was closed to the public over the weekend as the search was carried out. The bodies were found within metres of where the boat was moored.

It is understood the trio spent a week holidaying on the Broads and were due to return home on Saturday.

The mother, her boyfriend and the girl had all reportedly been seen having a barbecue on deck on Friday evening.

Some river users said the boat remained around the same isolated inlet throughout the week.

Several items including a computer and bed sheets were removed from one of the cruiser’s bedrooms by forensic specialists after it was moved to a boatyard in nearby Horning. It is not clear if these items are being treated as evidence.