The dark history of the 'murder-suicide' clifftop: Another mother plunged from the lookout point with her child 17 years ago - but the five-year-old boy survived The bodies of a woman and a child were found at cliff base south of Sydney Police suspect the woman jumped off Robertson Lookout holding her daughter Their bodies were retrieved hours later after a painstaking recovery operation The lookout is where another mother jumped to her death 17 years ago with son The five-year-old boy survived, with his mother copping brunt of impact Do you know more? email hannah.moore@mailonline.com By Zoe Zaczek and Nic White For Daily Mail Australia Published: 00:07 BST, 22 May 2019 | Updated: 00:07 BST, 22 May 2019 Viewcomments A clifftop that has become a crime scene after a mother and her two-year-old plunged to her death in a suspected murder-suicide has a dark history. A 33-year-old mother is believed to have jumped from the picturesque cliff near Wollongong, south of Sydney, on Tuesday afternoon, with her daughter in her arms. Their bodies were retrieved from the base of the cliff below Robertson Lookout at Mt Keira later that night in a painstaking recovery operation. In an eerie twist, it has now emerged that a 31-year-old woman jumped off the same cliff holding her five-year-old son Tom in April 18, 2002. The young boy suffered head injuries, a dislocated hip, a fractured wrist and scratches but managed to survive the fall as his mother's body absorbed most of the impact. Distressed family members were seen being comforted by emergency services Police have retrieved the bodies of a mother and her two-year-old daughter from the bottom of a 100m cliff after a suspected murder suicide In an eerie twist, it has now emerged that a 31-year-old woman jumped off the same cliff holding her five-year-old son Tom in April 18, 2002 He waited for more than four hours in the dark until emergency services heard him crying, the Sydney Morning Herald reported at the time. This Tuesday, police rushed to the area about 1.50pm after they received reports of a 'concern for welfare'. Detectives are understood to be treating the deaths as a murder-suicide by the mother and preparing a report for the coroner. A distraught man, believed to be a relative, was seen being consoled by paramedics and gesturing in dismay at the lookout's car park. A visibly distressed man and woman were also seen comforting each other at the scene, according to witnesses. Paramedics were winched down the steep cliff from the lookout until they reached the bodies in a slow and long recovery. This Tuesday, police rushed to the area about 1.50pm after they received reports of a 'concern for welfare' Paramedics were winched down the steep cliff from the lookout until they reached the bodies on Tuesday night, while paramedics comforted those at the scene (pictured) Wollongong Police district commander Superintendent Chris Craner said the recovery mission would be dangerous. 'It's steep, it's hectic, we've got police coming in from the low side, police trekking down from the high side and the consideration of the helicopter,' he said. 'It's a treacherous, dangerous area we need to get to to respectfully get this people out.' Superintendant Craner extended his thoughts to the family and the emergency services working at the scene. Their bodies were retrieved from the base of the cliff below Robertson Lookout at Mt Keira 'It's going to be absolutely devastating for the community who don't know these people and hear this and what it's about,' he said. A crime scene is still in effect as Wollongong Police detectives continue their investigations. The lookout is about 1.5 hours from Sydney and offers tourists and locals views of Mount Keira. Roberton's Lookout walking track is 7.4 kilometres in distance and its altitude varies between 222 and 476 metres. Lifeline 13 11 14 Two bodies were retrieved at the bottom of a cliff below Robertson Lookout at Mt Keira, near Wollongong, on Tuesday night in a painstaking recovery operation Police officers and paramedics responded to the incident which took place at about 1.50pm on Tuesday Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility