SCHOOL HOLIDAY TRAGEDY | Girl, 7, drowns at popular Brisbane swimming spot during school holidays
A seven-year-old girl has drowned at a popular recreational reserve southwest of Brisbane after disappearing beneath the water during a school holiday outing.
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT
The tragedy unfolded at Colleges Crossing Recreational Reserve in Chuwar on Saturday afternoon, when the young girl vanished while swimming at the well-known spot, sending bystanders and emergency services into a desperate race against time.
Triple zero calls flooded in just before 5pm. Within minutes, police, specialist dive units and the POLAIR helicopter were at the scene, scouring both the water and the surrounding riverbanks as daylight began to fade.
Officers cordoned off the picnic area and turned away cars as the search intensified, with the gravity of the situation becoming clear to those gathered on the banks.
As darkness fell, frantic locals used the torchlight from their mobile phones to assist crews working the water's edge.
Police divers arrived at the section of the river where the girl was last seen shortly after 8pm, methodically searching the murky depths.
At 10.24pm, more than five hours after the alarm was first raised, the child was retrieved from the water.
Despite the best efforts of emergency responders, she could not be saved.
A primary school-aged boy was also pulled from the water during the incident and was transported to Ipswich Hospital in a stable condition.
Colleges Crossing Recreational Reserve is a popular destination for families during school holidays, drawing crowds from across Brisbane's southwest to its swimming and picnic facilities along the Bremer River.
On Saturday it was transformed into a scene of grief, with police managing a difficult and emotional situation as the search dragged into the night.
The death will be investigated and a report prepared for the coroner, as is standard procedure in cases of accidental drowning.
Queensland school holidays began this week, with families across the state taking advantage of the break for recreational outings.
Drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death among children in Australia.
Royal Life Saving Australia urges parents and caregivers to maintain constant, active supervision of children in and around water at all times — and never to assume someone else is watching.
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