Police held ‘serious concerns’ for the welfare of two women, aged 71 and 41, and two boys, aged 11 and 14

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Detectives have found two women and two boys after a house was destroyed by fire in an alleged domestic-related incident in New South Wales’ central west.

Two men armed with a shotgun, knife and an axe went to a home in Ootha, near Condobolin, about 5am on Tuesday and assaulted a 68-year-old male occupant and knocked him unconscious in a domestic-related incident, police said.

Police say when the man regained consciousness, the home had been destroyed by fire and the 68-year-old couldn’t find the other occupants - two women, aged 71 and 41, and two boys, aged 11 and 14.

A police operation was launched on Tuesday to find the women and boys after officers said they held “serious concerns” for their welfare, police said.

But police said on Wednesday that the 71-year-old woman and the two boys were found on a roadside in nearby Windsor.

A third man, aged 44, and the 41-year-old woman who was with him, were located with help from police dogs and PolAir in bushland about 20km north of Windsor a few hours later.

Detectives also launched a search for two other men who they believed may be travelling to the Hunter region or the Central Coast in a 1998 green Toyota four-wheel drive.

Two men aged 23 and 29 were arrested near Sackville on Tuesday night.

The 68-year-old man has been airlifted to Orange Base Hospital in a critical condition.