Cecil Styles was a resident of River Avenue, Chatswood West. On New Year's Eve 1962 some friends were staying in his house and consequently Mr Styles and his wife slept overnight in a tent in their backyard, about 18 metres from the river.

The Styles' property stretched to the edge of the Lane Cove River, directly across from the dirt track leading to Chatswood Golf Course. Between 1 and 1:30am Mr Styles heard voices and saw lights on the other side of the river. At around 1:30am he drifted off to sleep.

During the night nothing awoke him. His dog did not bark.

Mr Styles woke at 5:30am. He put some rubbish in a pit on the bank, then sat beneath a willow tree reading a book until 9am. In that time there was no sound from the opposite bank, 65 metres away, nor was there any movement. Had there been either, Mr Styles said later that he would have noticed it.

At 9am he noticed the arrival of the police opposite. He assumed that someone had fallen into the river. There were two bodies visible, though one was somewhat obscured. Arriving at the scene, he saw the police removing the covering from the bodies.

Later, at the inquest, he was asked if the bodies could have been there at 5:30am. Mr Styles replied: "They could have. You do not as a rule go looking for bodies early in the morning."