Hours after the parents of a young Australian girl noticed she was missing, she was found dead. Now, an entire community is mourning the loss of young Airlie Montgomery. They had all come together to scour miles and miles in the hopes that they would find her alive. Now, police are ruling her death an unfortunate accident.
Even though police don’t suspect foul play, Airlie’s death serves as yet another example of keeping neurodiverse children extra safe.
Airlie was last seen around 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 16, 2025. She was wearing a pink jumpsuit and no shoes, Australian news outlet ABC reported. After she went missing, a large scale search and rescue operation began.
“I feel very sad for the passing of a 6-year-old girl,” a local man named Krishnan told ABC. “There were 100-odd people … all searching, including me.”
A news release from the New South Wales police stated that she was found about four hours later. Her body was found in bushland in the North Nowra area. Sky News Australia reported that the girl was found in water in the Shoalhaven River.
Australian police aren’t treating Airlie Montgomery’s death as a homicide or anything suspicious. Instead, they’re saying she died by “a case of misadventure,” multiple outlets are reporting. According to the Sky News report, the 6-year-old girl was autistic and nonverbal.
“Words cannot describe how horrible this is,” Shoalhaven mayor Patricia White, told The Daily Telegraph. She described Nowra as a “town in mourning,” adding that Airlie’s death was an “absolute tragedy.” According to News.com.au, flowers were left on the sign at the entrance of the reserve.
Airlie Montgomery was a student at North Nowra Public School, according to multiple outlets. The NSW Department of Education released a statement on the girl’s death, saying it is “deeply saddened” by her death.
“Our thoughts are with the family and all those affected,” the statement continued. “We are providing support to students and staff and will continue to do so for as long as it is needed.”
“Hold your kids tight, chat to your neighbours to see if they’re okay,” Mayor White said.
Police are currently preparing a report for the coroner’s office.
