The family of a six-year-old girl who was found dead following an urgent search has visited her school to collect her belongings.
Airlie Montgomery was last seen in the NSW South Coast town of North Nowra at 2.15pm on Sunday.
Police were immediately concerned for her wellbeing due to her young age and several medical conditions.
The family live just metres from North Nowra Public School where Airlie was a pupil.
Corey Montgomery, Airlie’s father, left the school with a bunch of small pink flowers in hand after a visit on Monday.
Several more flowers have been left at the family’s home.
About 100 community members joined the search for the little girl on Sunday. She wore a pink jumpsuit and no shoes.
It’s understood she went missing near The Grotto Walk, a hiking area with cliff-top views.
Airlie Montgomery (pictured) was last seen in the NSW South Coast town of North Nowra at 2.15pm on Sunday
It’s understood Airlie went missing near The Grotto Walk (pictured), a hiking area with cliff-top views
Her home was just 800m from the cliff’s edge.
A body, believed to be Airlie’s remains, was found in bushland four hours after she was reported missing.
NSW Police are not treating Airlie’s death as suspicious, instead it believes her death was a case of misadventure.
Airlie’s mother, Katie Amess, was too heartbroken to speak on the loss of her daughter.
‘I can’t talk right now, I can’t say anything,’ she told Daily Mail Australia through tears as she was comforted by a neighbour.
Krishnan, a local from North Nowra, was one of the dozens who helped search for the six-year-old.
He told the ABC he saw the little girl running along a housing estate on Sunday morning.
‘I feel very sad for the passing of a six-year-old girl,’ Krishnan said.
‘This morning I was sitting on the bench there and saying a prayer for her and saying bye-bye to her.’
A local recalled seeing Airlie (pictured) running along a housing estate on Sunday morning
Krishnan returned home as it was getting dark and heard helicopters continue the search.
‘There were two helicopters; one arriving around 12 o’clock and a police helicopter at 5pm,’ he said.
Shoalhaven mayor Patricia White said Nowra is a ‘town in mourning’ following news of the body’s discovery.
‘This is just an absolute tragedy,’ she told the Daily Telegraph.
‘Hold your kids tight, chat to your neighbours to see if they’re okay.’
Several others shared their grief online, describing Airlie’s death as ‘unfair’.
‘Incredibly sad. Fly high Airlie,’ one wrote.
‘My heart is broken for the family and her many friends,’ another said.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
