The officer, who can’t be named, became visibly distressed and emotional as he told the hearing about his desperate attempts to save the two teenage boys.
The TRG officers happened upon the scene by chance in the Perth suburb of Maylands not far from the riverbank.
16 year old Christopher Drage and 17 year old Trisjack Simpson Ninyette drowned in September 2018 when they attempted to run from police after trespassing and a burglary in suburban Perth.
Two officers pursued the group on foot with one boy splitting off while the four boys ran towards the river in an attempt to evade police.
UPDATE: Swan River coronial inquest continues sbs.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sbs.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Families Of 15 Indigenous People Who Died In Custody Demand To Talk To ScoMo
They say the lack of action from the government, 30 years on from the Royal Commission, can no longer be ignored.
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Fifteen Indigenous families who have lost loved ones in the care of police or the corrections system have joined together to demand that Prime Minister Scott Morrison meet with them on the anniversary of the Royal Commission into deaths in custody.
The families say it’s time the government sat down and had an honest conversation with them about why Blak people continue to die in police custody, and explain why a government inquiry didn’t prevent a further 441 deaths.
Almost thirty years on from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, 15 families who have lost loved ones are calling on the Prime Minister to meet with them.
Troy Jungaji Brady is the nephew of Birri Gubba woman Aunty Sherry Fisher-Tilberoo, who died in Brisbane City Watchhouse in September.
Mr Brady said addressing the crisis of deaths in custody is a matter of urgency. Why are so many of our people over-policed and overincarcerated and overrepresented, he said. In this day and age it s deplorable and something needs to be done. It s a national emergency that demands national action.