Detectives work to solve mystery of couple found dead in river after 13-year-old girl was found alone on a boat

Detectives are today attempting to piece together the final movements of a couple that were found dead in a river, after a 13-year-old girl was discovered alone on a boat.

Officers searching for the couple, who are in their 40s, found two bodies yesterday afternoon on a stretch of the River Bure between Wroxham Broad and Salhouse Broad in Norfolk.

The search had initally been launched after a member of the public noticed that the couple’s 38ft hire boat had not been returned to its boat yard.

Police later found the boat moored to a tree with a 13-year-old girl, who was unharmed, alone on board. The dead woman is believed to be the girl's mother, while the man was described as the mother’s partner.

Officers are treating the deaths as unexplained, but are not looking for anybody else in connection with the inquiry.

Detective Superintendent Jes Fry, of the joint Norfolk and Suffolk major investigation team, who is overseeing the investigation, said: “We continue to investigate this tragic event.

”Our main consideration is the welfare of the 13-year-girl and whilst I cannot speculate on the circumstances surrounding the deaths before I have received the results of the post mortems, initial investigations confirm that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.“

The girl spent the evening in protective police custody and has been informed of the developments. She is currently being comforted by relatives.

The boat has been recovered and returned to a boat yard at Horning where it will be examined.