The car in which a family is believed to have perished at Piles Creek, Somersby. Photo: Richard Gosling
Police have confirmed the recovery of a nine-year-old boy, a three-year-old girl and a two-year-old girl, while the body of a 30-year-old woman will be retrieved tomorrow after poor weather conditions hampered the operation tonight.
Police said the bodies of the children were enroute to the Newcastle morgue for formal identification after being retrieved from bushland near the scene of the accident.
The search for the missing 30-year-old man will resume tomorrow, while the site where the woman's body was found will be monitored overnight.
The family of five went missing after a section of the old Pacific Highway at Somersby, near Gosford, collapsed under their car at about 4pm (AEST) yesterday.
The car went crashing down an embankment and was struck by a wall of water, which swept it into Piles Creek, police believe.
The sedan was found empty about 100 metres down the flooded creek.
Emergency crews have battled heavy rain, strong winds and floodwaters during today's search, with 45 personnel searching four specific areas along a four kilometre stretch of the creek.
Police said four crime scenes had been established and reports would be prepared for the coroner.
"Detectives are undertaking a full investigation for the coroner about the circumstances surrounding this terrible thing and that's in place now," Detective Chief Inspector Darren Bennett said.
"That's why the crime scene examination will take place at every specific location that we come up with today."
Specialist police from Sydney and Newcastle, including police divers and the Police Air Wing, have been involved in the search.
NSW Police Force chaplain Reverend Mark Watts said the family of the five had asked for their thanks and gratitude to be passed on to those involved in the operation.
They have requested no further information about them be released.
AAP
La esquina de las calles King y Steel en el centro de Newcastle. La imagen muestra varios automóviles flotando.


Hasta 8 personas han fallecido en Newcastle, Australia luego de que la ciudad experimentara la peor tormenta en 30 años.

El Primer Ministro de Nueva Gales del Sur, Morris Iemma, dio la declaración el 8 de junio a las 9:30 p.m. mientras que el centro de la ciudad se inundaba con agua y escombros. Las autoridades han tenido que hacer un llamamiento para buscar a una familia de cinco, que se encuentra desaparecida cuando la Old Pacific Highway fue arrasada por la tormenta. Los cuerpos de un adulto y dos niños fueron encontrados en el auto esta mañana.

La policía también busca a una pareja anciana de Hunter Valley y a un hombre de Newcastle.

Las autoridades temen un "desastre ambiental mayor" ya que el buque de carga a granel Pasha Bulker se encuentra varado en un arrecife en Nobby's Beach. El cargador contiene 700 toneladas de combustible y muestra signos de inestabilidad. Veintidós miembros de la tripulación fueron rescatados. Otros dos buques, el Sea Confidence y el Betis, requirieron asistencia de remolcadores.

La Oficina de Meteorología de Australia ha emitido alertas meteorológicas serias y esperan que el tiempo se modere para el domingo.