Father and Son Killed After Ute Plunges into Macdonald River – St Albans, NSW – 20 August 2025

What happened

Incident Overview

A tragic crash occurred late on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, when a Mitsubishi Triton ute carrying a father and his two sons left the road and plunged into the Macdonald River at St Albans, north of Sydney, around 11:50 pm. The father, a man in his 50s, and one of his sons died in the crash, while another son, aged 24, managed to escape and swim to the riverbank to raise the alarm. The bodies of the father and son were recovered on Thursday morning, with the ute later lifted from the river by police divers and a crane.

“The ute a father and son were in has been recovered from the water, after the pair tragically died when their car plunged into the Macdonald River.” — 7NEWS report

• Crash Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 (approximately 11:50 pm)
• Location: Macdonald River, St Albans, north of Sydney, New South Wales

• Mitsubishi Triton utility vehicle (ute)

• Fatality:
  • Father, man in his 50s, driver, deceased at the scene (recovered from the water).
  • Son, details pending formal identification, deceased at the scene (recovered from the water).
• Serious Injuries:
  • No serious injuries reported beyond fatalities.
• No Injuries:
  • A 24-year-old son escaped the submerged vehicle, swam to the riverbank, and survived.

The deaths have shocked the tight-knit community of St Albans. The incident occurred during Sydney’s heaviest August rainfall in 18 years, heightening local concern about road safety in flood-prone areas. Authorities have urged residents to monitor Bureau of Meteorology flood warnings and take extreme caution around swollen rivers and roads.

Emergency Response

• Police and emergency services responded after the crash was reported by the surviving son.
• The bodies of the deceased were recovered from the river around 11:20 am Thursday, August 21.
• Police divers located and secured the Mitsubishi Triton, which was dredged from the river with a crane on Friday, August 22.

“Four or even five times the average monthly rainfall — that’s what we’ve seen so far in Sydney this month.” — Angus Hines, Bureau of Meteorology

Investigation

NSW Police are examining:

• The sequence of events that led to the ute entering the Macdonald River at St Albans.
• Environmental conditions, including extremely heavy rainfall and localised flooding in the Sydney basin.
• Whether riverbank conditions or road safety factors contributed to the incident.

Appeal for Information

Authorities are urging anyone with information or dashcam/CCTV footage to contact:

• Crime Stoppers NSW: Call 1800 333 000 or report online at [www.crimestoppers.com.au](https://www.crimestoppers.com.au)
• Witness Reporting: Contact NSW Police directly via Policelink or a local police station.