Death of two-year-old Mackay girl: Dad's plight after hearing his daughter was hospitalised

The plight of a grieving father who was at work when his sick daughter was hospitalised after he made a desperate dash to her side in a borrowed car.

A friend of parents Jessica and Adam Hanbury said he loaned Mr Hanbury his car after the devastated dad was told his two-year-old daughter was taken to Mackay Base Hospital on Thursday.

It was also revealed the two-year-old had four older siblings. 

The family of seven had moved to Mackay, some 970km north of Brisbane, in early 2020 and settled in the town’s north.

However, their family tragically became six after the little girl was pronounced dead at hospital at about 8pm on Thursday. 

The parents (above) of a two-year-old girl who died on Thursday have four other children and moved to Mackay in 2020

A family friend said the girl’s dad, Adam Hanbury, had rushed to Mackay base Hospital (above) from work after hearing his daughter was hospitalised

Queensland Police Detective Acting Inspector Chris Eaton said the little girl was unwell in the days prior to her death. Police have not confirmed if she was sick or injured.

The family friend said Mr Hanbury was at work when he received news of his daughter’s hospitalisation.

‘He didn’t have a car so he borrowed mine and rushed to the hospital where his wife was,’ he told the Courier Mail.

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‘I drove them home at 3am.’

Queensland Police, under the direction of the coroner, are investigating the young girl’s death (pictured, a forensic officer at the family’s North Mackay home)

Police said the girl was unwell in the days prior to her death but would not confirm if she was sick or injured (pictured, police outside the family’s home)

Inspector Eaton said the two-year-old was pronounced dead a ‘short time’ after staff at the hospital ‘reacted’ to her condition.

‘We’re in the very early stages of the investigation,’ he said during a press conference on Friday.

‘The family have gone through a very traumatic event. We are very mindful of the situation the family finds themself in.

‘But under the direction of the coroner, we will investigate what has occurred in the lead-up, and in particular the causation of the child’s death.

‘At this stage, we’re just looking at how this child has come to die last night.’

Police established a crime scene outside the family’s suburban North Mackey home on Friday afternoon as part of its ongoing investigation into the toddler’s death.

Forensic officers were seen packaging material from the home in bags and taking photographs at the scene.