Detectives return to scene of pond death1:04
Investigations continue into the death of a wheelchair-bound woman who fell into a pond in an Adelaide park.
Police say there are ‘unanswered questions’ over death of Helen Dansie, found in Adelaide Parklands pond
THE husband of a wheelchair-bound woman who drowned in the Adelaide parklands says he tried to save his wife and was interrogated by police for 18 hours without food or being allowed to change out of his wet clothes.
Peter Dansie has broken his silence after the body of his wife Helen, 67, was recovered from a 1.5m-deep pond in Veale Gardens on Sunday evening.
He said he jumped into the water to try to retrieve his wife after she went into the pond.
“When I was unable to get her out I called triple-0 immediately and the ambulances arrived shortly afterwards,” he told Nine News.
“I then spent 18 hours being interviewed by police, still dressed in my wet clothes.
“As an acute diabetic, I was denied medication food and drink for 18 hours.”
Mr Dansie emphatically denied any involvement in the death of his wife of more than four decades.
“Of course it was an accident, why would I do that?” he said.
“We’ve been married for 44 years and I’ve been looking after her for 22 years since she had a stroke. I gave up my job and my life.”
When questioned by The Advertiser, Mr Dansie said he had sought legal advice and been advised not to comment further.
Detectives returned to the city’s south parklands on Wednesday to drain the pond and conduct further investigations.
Police and State Emergency Service volunteers arrived at Veale Gardens about 8.30am to drain the 1.5m-deep pond.
An autopsy on Mrs Dansie, who was confined to a wheelchair, confirmed she had drowned, but police said there were “a number of unanswered questions” in the “unexplained” tragedy.
Police also marked the ground with paint, drawing yellow lines towards the pond at multiple locations.
At one point, two members of the public spoke to detectives but declined to comment as they left.
Police doorknocked businesses and homes along South Tce on Tuesday in an attempt to piece together the circumstances of Mrs Dansie’s death.
Police divers scoured the pond to look for anything that may assist the investigation while investigators recreated several possible scenarios using a wheelchair to try to figure out what happened.
On Monday, police accompanied Mr Dansie back to his Waterfall Gully home and removed several firearms from his house and a chainsaw from a ute parked outside.
Police ask anyone with information about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
