Residents of a South Australian coastal town are grappling with "sadness" following a double murder-suicide involving Helena Wright, 36, and her two children. Wright and her 23-month-old daughter were pulled from the ocean near Port MacDonnell on Monday, July 28th, 2026. Her two-month-old son remained missing despite extensive search efforts.

Helicopters, planes, and boats searched the area on Monday, but weather conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday limited the search to foot patrols along the coastline. Police formally ended the search for the infant on Wednesday afternoon, stating he could not have survived nearly three days in the conditions.

Authorities are treating the deaths of Wright and her children as a murder-suicide. Police had conducted a welfare check at Wright's home in Compton, near Mount Gambier, just hours before her vehicle was found running near the cliffs at Cape Northumberland.

Volunteers from the regional South Australian town responded promptly when the alarm was raised to find the missing mother and her children. SES volunteer Fensom said, "The locals, let alone the SES and the police, did their absolute best to locate them on the first day, which obviously you know resulted in two people being found and not the third."

Emergency services volunteer Roger Bobolka noted the impact of the incident extended beyond those directly involved in the search. Community members expressed the difficulty of the event, emphasizing the importance of supporting one another. Ms Lewis remarked, "It was important the town took the time to support one another," while others acknowledged the challenge but highlighted available support services.

This tragic event has deeply affected the close-knit community, with many reflecting on the hardship of such incidents occurring locally.

Sources