About 6 a.m. 3 August 1854 Constable Henderson left the police barracks at Crowlands to round up the police horses which were grazing on the opposite bank of the Wimmera River. The horse he rode was known to have a tendency to stumble. A local man found his riderless horse wandering near the town about 9 a.m. The horse was soaking wet and a stirrup leather was gone. Local police searched for Henderson until nightfall without success. Early the next morning Constable Henderson's body was found in the river about half a mile from the township. He had a number of severe contusions on his head which had apparently been inflicted by his horse when it fell whilst crossing the river.