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The sudden death of Network Ten journalist and news anchor Charmaine Dragun has sparked an outpouring of grief across Australia.
The television network where the 29-year-old had worked for eight years was last night in a state of shock, as TV viewers turned to internet blogs to air their sorrow.
Ms Dragun's body was found at The Gap, in Sydney's east, shortly before 4pm (local time) yesterday afternoon and police have described her death as non-suspicious.
"Colleagues and friends of Charmaine Dragun, co-presenter of TEN's Perth News at Five, mourn her tragic passing this afternoon," TEN's chief executive officer Grant Blackley said in a condolence statement issued last night.
"We are all in a state of shock and sadness at this terrible news."
Mr Blackley said Ms Dragun was a highly intelligent, vibrant and caring person, universally liked and admired by her colleagues.
"Our deepest sympathies go to her partner, Simon, and her family.
"We are doing what we can to support them and urge everyone to respect their privacy at this time."
Ms Dragun was a newsreader for Perth's TEN News at Five, alongside Tim Webster, and the program is produced in Sydney.
Police have not commented on the circumstances leading up to the woman's death, saying only that a member of the public reported a woman was sitting at a harbour's edge look-out.
Officers were dispatched but the woman was dead before they could arrive, and the death was considered non-suspicious.
"Police are investigating an incident at Watsons Bay," a police spokesman said last night.
"Shortly before 4pm a woman ... was sitting at Jacob's Ladder.
"Police arrived and located the woman deceased at the scene."
The spokesman said investigations were continuing and a report would be prepared for the coroner.
Ms Dragun started her career in Perth after graduating from the WA Academy of Performing Arts, and had been with Network Ten for nearly eight years.
A biography on the webpage of the media agency which represented her states she was born in WA, where she rose up through the ranks of radio and then television.
"Charmaine began her career as a radio journalist. She worked as a reporter and news reader for Perth radio stations 6PR and 96FM," the bio reads.
"After making the move to television, she rose through the ranks at Ten News, covering everything from entertainment to stories of major, national significance.
"She soon found her niche in court reporting and went on to cover some of the biggest cases WA has seen in recent years."
The bio, on the website of BBC Entertainment, said Ms Dragun was most recently working a permanent news anchor with stints hosting Ten's Late News and the 11.30 bulletins.
Ms Dragun was a popular and respected member of the Perth media community and was also involved in Perth charities, such as the Pink Ribbon Ball and fund-raising for Perth Zoo.
A promotion to the news desk in 2005 took Ms Dragun to Sydney where the Perth bulletin is produced.
A Perth-based blogger described her passing as "absolutely horrible news", while another also referred to the recent passing of footballer media identity Chris Mainwaring.
"This is so unfair, two great WA journos gone in a month. Poor Charmaine," the blogger wrote in an online post.
- AAP
