Tragedy strikes as four Indians, including two women, drown at an unpatrolled beach in Victoria, Australia. Authorities respond to the worst drowning incident in the state in nearly two decades.
Tragic Drowning Incident Claims Lives of Four Indians in Phillip Island
Melbourne: In a devastating incident that unfolded on Wednesday at Phillip Island in the Australian state of Victoria, four Indians lost their lives in a drowning tragedy, marking the worst such incident in Victorian waters in almost two decades, according to officials.
Emergency services swiftly responded to distress calls reporting four individuals struggling in the waters near Newhaven around 3:30 pm on Wednesday. The incident occurred at an unpatrolled beach, emphasizing the dangers of swimming in areas without designated lifeguard supervision.
Kane Treloar, the state agency commander of Life Saving Victoria, recounted the sequence of events, stating, “Life Saving Victoria was called to assist four people in trouble in the waters off Forrest Caves on Phillip Island, only a couple of kilometres from our patrolled lifeguard site.” Off-duty lifeguards had already pulled three individuals from the water upon the arrival of the official rescue team. The lifeguards initiated CPR on all four victims who were found unconscious and unresponsive.
Despite concerted efforts by the rescue teams and emergency responders, three of the victims, whose identities have not been disclosed by authorities, succumbed to the incident. Treloar expressed his condolences, emphasizing the severity of the tragedy, stating, “Despite the efforts of all involved, three of those people unfortunately passed away.”
The Indian High Commission in Canberra responded to the heartbreaking news, expressing condolences and confirming the tragic drowning. The High Commission posted on social media, “Heartbreaking tragedy in Australia: 4 Indians lost their lives in a drowning incident at Phillip Island, Victoria. Deepest condolences to the families of the victims. @cgimelbourne team is in touch with friends of the deceased for all necessary assistance @MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar.”
Victoria Police Eastern Region Assistant Commissioner, Karen Nyholm, provided details on Thursday, revealing that the victims comprised a man and two women in their 20s, along with a woman in her 40s. The group was described as an extended family that had gathered at Phillip Island for an outing.
Nyholm confirmed that a 43-year-old woman, who was on holiday in Australia, was among the deceased. The other three victims were residents of the Melbourne suburb of Clyde. Tragically, three individuals—a man and two women—lost their lives at the scene, while the third woman, in her 20s, was rushed to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and, despite efforts, succumbed to the incident.
Assistant Commissioner Nyholm reflected on the profound impact of the tragedy on the affected families, stating, “This tragedy has taken the lives of four people, and it’s fair to say the impact will be profound on those families.” The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of adhering to safety measures and designated swimming areas to prevent such heartbreaking events.
