A father searching for his partner and young daughter after they failed to arrive for school pick-up made the harrowing discovery of their vehicle upturned in a small dam, with rescuers trying to resuscitate the pair.
The 36-year-old woman and the girl were found inside the car on a property south of Maryborough on Queensland’s Fraser Coast yesterday afternoon.
Despite the “heroic” efforts of the property owner and emergency services, both were declared dead at the scene.
Police Inspector Paul Algie said the woman was on her way to pick up other children from school when the crash is believed to have happened about 2.45pm.
Police are appealing for information about the vehicle or events prior to the incident. (ABC Wide Bay: James Taylor)
The girl’s father, who had been contacted by the school when they failed to arrive, was one of the first to come across the horrific scene on a Springvale Road property in Tinana South.
Rescue attempts
Property owner Joel Hinschen, 45, said he found the car just before 5:30pm.
“I came down to check the cows and noticed the car upside down in the dam.
“I got in the water and pulled them both out of the car.”
The woman and child were pulled from the upside-down car by the property owner. (ABC Wide Bay: James Taylor)
Mr Hinschen said his own father performed CPR on the girl until emergency services arrived.
Inspector Algie said their actions were heroic.
“Conducting first aid on somebody that’s just been pulled from a dam is horrific,” he said.
“It is frightening and it’s emotive, particularly when members of that person’s extended family are present.
“Obviously, the (girl’s) father and the neighbour were distraught. Police that attended were very upset.”
‘Down-to-earth beautiful girl’
Summah Brakenridge tied a bunch of flowers on a nearby fence to pay tribute to the family members involved in the crash.
The 32-year-old said the young girl, who was a distant relative, was “full of life” and “full of energy”.
Summah Brakenridge described the 10-year-old as “full of life [and] energy”. (ABC Wide Bay: James C Taylor)
“She has the most beautiful big smile, just an absolutely down-to-earth beautiful girl,” she said.
Ms Brakenridge said the incident was a “terrible tragedy” but the family “needs to stick together and support each other through this horrible time”.
‘A human tragedy’
In an emotional statement to media, Inspector Algie said as of yesterday, 220 people had lost their lives due to road fatalities in the state this year — 26 of those occurring in the Wide Bay region.
“These statistics are cold, they are stark but unfortunately the statistics belie what is a human tragedy,” Inspector Algie said.
Inspector Paul Algie urges drivers to remain cautious to avoid “preventable deaths” on Queensland’s roads. (ABC Wide Bay: James C Taylor)
“[That’s] 26 people in the Wide Bay that are no longer part of our vibrant community.”
Inspector Algie said the fatal crashes were “preventable deaths”.
“I’m getting sick of talking about this to media. It’s like I’m the grim reaper of Maryborough and I’m fed up with it,” he said.
Anyone with information about the vehicle or the events prior to the incident are urged to contact police.