Man cried for help before river drowning, coroner told

An Indigenous man drowned while trying to evade police by crossing a river, a coroner has heard. (Dan Peled/AAP PHOTOS)

A young Indigenous man was caught up in a stolen car pursuit before drowning in an attempt to evade police by crossing a river, a coroner has heard.

Robert 'Robbie' Malayta, 18, was found dead by police divers in the Ross River near the Townsville suburb of Kirwan in north Queensland at 11.48am on February 25, 2022.