‘Viciously attacked’: Horror details after man allegedly rapes, tries to drown woman on walking track

Horror details have emerged after a Victorian man allegedly raped and tried to drown a woman at a popular walking track in Central Queensland. Police allege a woman was completing her morning run along a walking track in the vicinity of Rockhampton’s Yeppen Lagoon when she was attacked by an unknown man about 10.30am on Sunday. Speaking to reporters, Detective Acting Inspector Kevin Mawdsley said the woman had never seen the man before. “She was (allegedly) viciously attacked and sexually assaulted and raped on a number of occasions,” he said. After the rape, police said the man dragged the woman to the water at the nearby lagoon, where he attempted to drown her. The man then fled the scene on foot, Inspector Mawdsley said, leaving the woman to report the incident to police. The woman used the walking track regularly, Inspector Mawdsley said, but became disorientated after the alleged attack and walked “a good couple of hundred metres” looking for help. “She ended up in Rugby Park … going to buildings looking for assistance,” he said. “She sighted some people in the backyard doing some gardening and went to them for help.” He said the victim showed a “tremendous amount of courage” by contacting police after the “horrific incident”. “(I) can’t begin to imagine what she went through, and she’s certainly displaying a huge amount of courage at the moment,” Inspector Mawdsley said. She reported the alleged assault to police about 11am on Sunday and was transported to hospital where she received medical treatment and professional support. “As you can imagine, a large-scale police investigation ensued,” Inspector Mawdsley said. “A lot of officers in first response roles but also investigators and forensic officers locally.” Police found Victorian man Michael Charles Clark, 27, at Boat Harbour Drive in Hervey Bay about 11am on Monday. Inspector Mawdsley said Mr Clark had been in Rockhampton for “only a few weeks” before the incident. “He’d only been in Queensland and Rockhampton from early January, 2026, so two weeks maximum,” he told reporters. “We’ll be alleging that he fled Rockhampton immediately after this incident occurred and was attempting to make his way back to Victoria.” Rockhampton Criminal Investigation Branch investigators reached out to Victoria Police, who provided “hugely beneficial” information. The Victorian man was found in a car with a female known to him who is assisting police with their inquiries. “All I can say is that she was someone who was known to him but not involved in any offending,” Inspector Mawdsley said. Mr Clark has since been charged with three counts of rape, one count of attempted murder and an additional two counts of fail to comply with reporting. “It will be alleged that he was fleeing trying to make attempts to get back to Victoria,” Inspector Mawdsley added. Mr Clark was refused bail and is expected to face Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on Tuesday. “Investigators are continuing to appeal for information, particularly information or vision of a dark blue 2008 Toyota two door hatchback from the Yeppen Lagoon area around the time of the alleged offence,” a police statement read. Inspector Mawdsley said police would likely return to the crime scene as investigations continue due to a “gap in the timeline”. “The investigation isn’t finished. We intend to potentially revisit that area,” he said. “If they sighted the vehicle before or after 10.30am on Sunday the January 25, we’d be interested in that. “There is a bit of a gap in the timeline of our (alleged) offender’s movements prior to the (alleged) offence in particular, so we’d like to try and fill some of those gaps.” Investigators had issued an earlier appeal for information from anyone who may have been in the area at the time or who may have had CCTV or dashcam footage from nearby roads. Police patrolled the area on Monday. Sexual assault support lines