The father and grandfather who died trying to save their two-year-old child from drowning in a Gold Coast pool Sunday have been identified as Dharmvir Singh, 38, and Gurjinder Singh, 65, of Victoria.
Dharmvir Singh’s daughter was reportedly playing on the step of an apartment block pool in Surfer’s Paradise when she lost her footing and fell into deeper water, sparking the double Easter tragedy.
The two men leapt into the pool to try to save the toddler only to get into trouble themselves.
Mitchell Ware from the Queensland Ambulance Service said bystanders were able to pull them from the pool and performed CPR until paramedics arrived, but both men died at the scene.
A woman known to the two men was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in an emotional but stable condition. The child was reportedly pulled from the pool without injury.
“It’s an extremely emotional scene. Anyone could understand that not just to lose one family member but to lose two family members,” Ware said.
School holidays and the Easter break were a particularly busy time for emergency service workers where there’s a spike in drownings, he said.
“I will just reiterate to the community to exercise due care, especially if you’re not a strong swimmer, and especially if there’s young children around that you are really careful,” Ware said.
“Because we know that children and even adults can drown within a couple of seconds if they find themselves in those sort of situations.”
The family is understood to be holidaying from Victoria.
It is unclear whether safety flotation devices were by the pool at the time.
Water safety in the spotlight after Victoria’s worst drowning tragedy since 2005
Ware said “tragic” incidents such as this affected families, witnesses and first responders.
“We’ve got a good support network around our paramedics,” he added.
“But it’s not just our first responders that can respond to these sort of incidents that are obviously tragic for the family, also the community – there was bystanders within the pool also on holidays.
“So again, obviously express our condolences to those people.”
Queensland police are investigating and a report will be prepared for the coroner.