Aisling Symes - found dead near her home

But the toddler didnt fall down a drain, did she?


Didnt she fall into a pond?

Wasnt she found in a drain?

Kitti, those were my thoughts but I don't think I read them anywhere.

As far as I'm aware, the news is that she drowned in the drain?...

I maybe wrong though.

I did read on one of the press releases that she had been watching/chasing some ducklings, so there was likely to have been some source of water for them and mum duck.

Travis40 wrote:Kitti, those were my thoughts but I don't think I read them anywhere.

As far as I'm aware, the news is that she drowned in the drain?...

I maybe wrong though.

What I read was that to end up in the drain, she must have gone down a manhole.

Autumn wrote:

Pussycat wrote:Surely this area, where the drain is, was searched immediately? Common sense would say so in my opinion

The new search coincided with the police talking to Aisling's sister and a rich benefactor stumping up a reward

I'd like to know what made the police search the drain again, so urgently and so late in the evening?

The jury's still out with me on this one I'm afraid

I think some local residents were complaining about drainage problems indicating blockages in the system - this is most likely what alerted the police to do a more thorough investigation of the drains. Brings to mind the case of a notorious serial killer (his name escapes me) who disposed of his victims body parts by stuffing them down drains - it wasnt until his neighbours complained of a strange persistant smell that the police investigated and, subsequently arrested him.

Civil Servant - Dennis Nielson

kitti wrote:Wonder what the mccanns felt when they found out it was a tragic accident?

I would imagine they felt very sad, a child has died.

arachnidae wrote:

kitti wrote:Wonder what the mccanns felt when they found out it was a tragic accident?

I would imagine they felt very sad, a child has died.

Well, that is what any normal person would think, yes.

Hi yes they said the little girl was found dead in the drain but didnt know how she got there

Aisling case: Mystery woman indentified
4:00AM Tuesday Oct 13, 2009
By Yvonne Tahana, James Ihaka and Andrew Koubaridis


Police have identified the mystery Asian woman seen talking to Aisling Symes before her disappearance, but have yet to find her.

The woman was a central figure during the week-long investigation into the toddler's disappearance.

After initial searches proved fruitless, it was feared Aisling had been abducted.

Police still want to speak to the woman, despite Aisling's body having been recovered, and a post mortem examination revealing she died by drowning.

The toddler was found in a stormwater pipe about 8pm on Monday night, 36m from a manhole cover at 5 Longburn Rd, Henderson.

Aisling was with her mother at 7 Longburn Rd, the home of her deceased grandparents, when she disappeared.

The drain had been the subject of four complaints to the Waitakere City Council, and at least one person raised safety concerns after a build-up of water blew the manhole cover off.

The drain, which is 37.5cm wide and runs at a depth of 1.4m, feeds into Lincoln Stream behind Longburn Rd.


Police found the manhole cover dislodged during the initial search for Aisling, but it was too heavy for her to have lifted.

Inquiry head Inspector Gary Davey yesterday said the decision to re-check the pipe was made in a review of the investigation, which was at a dead-end.

More than a metre of soil had to be excavated and obstructions cleared before Aisling's body was found.

Mr Davey said it would have been impossible for her to turn around in the drain.

One West Auckland drainlayer - who did not want to be named - told the Herald he immediately thought about the manhole cover after hearing Aisling's body had been recovered.

He said he had raised concerns about it with the Waitakere City Council a year ago, after making a closed-circuit TV inspection of the stormwater line.

"It's an old lid that should have been replaced ages ago. When we came across that we let the council know. They pop up in bad stormwater."

Sonya Carrington, a former tenant at 5 Longburn Rd, said the main reason she moved was "because I didn't want my kids down that drain".

Waitakere Mayor Harvey last night told Close Up he was now aware of the four previous complaints, but did not know what action had been taken.

"I feel disappointed more than angry. I don't think it's a time for anger."

He said he was surprised the people concerned about the drain had not mentioned it to the police during the search.

Waitakere City Council spokesman Wally Thomas said the city had received a complaint on September 11 that the manhole cover had lifted off.

Workers found large willow tree roots in the drain and began "the process of deciding how best to go about removing them".

Asked if that decision was made before Aisling went missing, Mr Thomas said: "No, sadly, not."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10603042

kitti wrote:Wonder what the mccanns felt when they found out it was a tragic accident?

Could they state (again): "Why would that be her parents fault?"

IMO

Reconstruction maps of the manhole and drain where Aisling was found. I am quite surprised at the distance that she travelled along the drain.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/image.cfm?c_id=1&gal_objectid=10603075&gallery_id=107841

Neighbours video footage of the overflowing drain - taken last year. On seeing this it is quite easy to see how and why Aisling fell down the manhole

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/image.cfm?c_id=1&gal_objectid=10603075&gallery_id=107841

dinah wrote:My own quote://
Could it be after seeing the rolling eyes of the mother and the new cuddlebear in the interview?//end of quote.

I want to take back this sentence, because I saw the brother of the mother in an interview with almost the same mimique. Maybe it is in the family such mimic in the face, I am sorry that I said it.

I post it here again.

Were search dogs brought in I wonder. It all must have happened so quickly as one moment the child was near the mother and the next moment gone. Wonder if she fell down a drain in the house. All details will be released and the post mortem will show facts. Such a tragedy.

I still stand by my earlier beliefs that Angela Symes was not telling the full story, i suspect that Aisling had been out of her eyeline for more than a few moments. Even so, if this is the case she will have to live with that knowledge for the rest of her life and i really do feel terribly sorry for her. I also feel deeply sad for Aislings elder sister, i know how much my daughter of 6 loves & adores her younger cousins. Aislings death is a terrible tragedy, and one that may have been avoided in many different ways.

But, the sad fact is regardless of what we should or shouldn't do we, as parents, we can't watch our children every waking minute, it just isn't feasible.

I'm still not buying it, either. I will reserve judgement until the NZ Police make an official statement.

dinah wrote:

dinah wrote:My own quote://
Could it be after seeing the rolling eyes of the mother and the new cuddlebear in the interview?//end of quote.

I want to take back this sentence, because I saw the brother of the mother in an interview with almost the same mimique. Maybe it is in the family such mimic in the face, I am sorry that I said it.

I post it here again.

Police have not ruled out "foulplay"... yet, is the latest news this morning.

You are not alone of course in thinking something is wrong here.

Reading the article on the post above, makes me remind of how people are quick to point the finger (alleged sightings) at some ethnic groups. "Police have located an Asian woman and are satisfied she is unable to assist with the disappearance of Aisling Symes".

It's never a Caucasian. It's always anybody else. Probably this is the same reason Hitchcock always used blondes - beyond suspicion.

Haven't they released the body to the family? Would they do that if there might be foul play? I just looked at a map of where the drain starts and there is quite a distance for a 2 year old to walk in the rain. If she accidentally fell in then she must have been missing for some time before that happened I think. A few seconds wouldn't be enough for her to get to that manhole even if it was open. Then there are the reports that the manhole was no more than 10cm ajar - that's not much space for a large 2 year-old to fit though is it?

the old paranoia about the stranger in our midst

the Asian woman probably was able to shed some light on how long Aisling might have been out of her mother's sight though

quickfingers wrote:Haven't they released the body to the family? Would they do that if there might be foul play? I just looked at a map of where the drain starts and there is quite a distance for a 2 year old to walk in the rain. If she accidentally fell in then she must have been missing for some time before that happened I think. A few seconds wouldn't be enough for her to get to that manhole even if it was open. Then there are the reports that the manhole was no more than 10cm ajar - that's not much space for a large 2 year-old to fit though is it?

It was said in an earlier report that the distance was 36 metre's, I also thought that this was an awful long way for a two year old to travel in the blink of an eye ,which is what Aisling's mum said had happened !

I dont know the youngsters in our family are so speedy. Ever known a 2 year old climb a 6ft fence get over safely, all in the blink of an eye, Mum being in the same garden hanging out clothes, not 10 yards away, I had to stop taking one child to the park, he used to run so fast, i couldnt catch him, so I cannot doubt what Aisling's mother says, without any evidence to the contrary.

Fair comment ,but it just struck me as a long way in such a very short spoace of time ,but I take your point .

Yes they can move quickly I suppose. Still a long way to get if her mum just turned her back for a second or two. Especially if it was pouring with rain. But some 2 year olds are resourceful as you say.

I cannot see why everybody was screaming abduction from the start. How many times are we be told abductions by strangers are extremely scarce. Much more likely is the child wandered off. Why was this never considered with Madeleine. There was no evidence of an abductor yet we are led to believe she was abducted. I read that there was a lot of building work going on with holes in the road etc. Yet this didn't seem to have been an option. I wonder why not.