Double drowning tragedy at Top of the Mark, Surfers Paradise

Horror new details have emerged of how two men lost their lives trying to save a toddler in a rooftop pool of a Gold Coast unit block on Sunday as tributes pour in from around the world.

A Victorian family’s Gold Coast vacation has become an Easter holiday horror after the drowning of a man and his father while trying to rescue relatives in a rooftop pool.

Dharmvir Singh, 38, and his dad Gurjinder Singh, 65, died in the tragedy at the Top Of The Mark apartment building in Surfers Paradise on Sunday night.

The men were relaxing with family by the pool about 6.45pm when the younger man’s wife and two-year-old daughter got into difficulty.

Police investigators, who will prepare a report for the coroner, have studied CCTV footage of the tragedy in a bid to piece together exactly how the drama unfolded in a pool just a few metres wide.

The young girl and her mother were splashing at the edge of the shallow end of the pool when the two-year-old lost balance and drifted into deeper water.

510 'Top of the Mark Orchid Ave, Surfers Paradise

The toddler’s mother went after her but she could not swim and immediately got into difficulty, with her husband and his father then jumping into the water to leap to her aid.

During the chaos that followed, the toddler and her mum managed to make it to the pool’s edge, while a seven-year-old girl standing on the side - the two-year-old’s older sister - tried to reach out to the two flailing men with a towel to use as a rope to be pulled back to safety, but the attempt didn’t work and both men disappeared under the water.

No one else was in the pool at the time, but bystanders rushed to help.

Paramedics were at the scene within minutes and an off-duty doctor also performed CPR but the men could not be revived.

The younger Mr Singh was also known as Sunny Randhawa while his father was also known by the Randhawa surname.

Drugs and alcohol were not believed to be a factor.

Signs around the pool area say the deep end is 2.1 metres deep, while the shallow end is one metre deep.

Drowning incident where two men died at Top Of The Mark pool at Surfers Paradise.

The group were all part of a family holidaying on the Gold Coast from the Melbourne suburb of Clyde North.

A family friend told media the men would be sorely missed.

“Maybe God take good people early, so that’s what happened,” he said.

“It’s a very big blow to their family.

“I have promised to his wife that whatever we as friends can (do to) help, we will do.”

A source from the Indian community said swimming was not as ingrained in many people from the subcontinent.

“It’s a really big cultural thing,” he said.

“There’s no education about swimming or beach safety.”

Friends from around the world paid tribute to the pair following their tragic death.

“Very sad news Randhawa G and his Son Sunny Randhawa left us today in Australia. Heartfelt condolences. Always miss you Bhaji,” wrote Naveen Bali.

Fellow friend Surinder Sharma said the situation was “very, very sad”.

Kristina Colosimo has been a resident at The Top of the Mark for eight years and said the incident was a tragedy.

“I feel so sad, I saw two bodies here yesterday and I can’t stop thinking about it,” she said.

Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Mitch Ware said paramedics responded to the drowning in Orchid Ave within four minutes.

“Bystanders were able to retrieve them from the water and performed good quality CPR,” he said.

“Despite our attempts we were unable to revive them.”

Mr Ware said the incident had unfolded quickly.

“That child has lost their footing, causing them to fall into a deeper part of the pool,” he said.

“The two male patients have then entered the pool in an attempt to rescue that child and have found themselves in trouble.”

Paramedics treated the child’s mother and took her to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.

Mr Ware said the scene was “extremely” emotional for the emergency services that attended and was a stark reminder of how quickly situations can turn dangerous around pools.

“We do see increases in post-immersion cases in and around the Easter long weekend and especially around the school holidays,” he said.

“We know that children and even adults can drown within a couple of seconds if they find themselves in those sort of situations.”

A report on the death of the two men will be prepared for the coroner.