Coroner calls for supervision after toddler drowns at Mildura

A toddler’s death at a Mildura caravan park while celebrating his brother’s birthday is a tragic reminder parents must keep watch of children, a coroner says.

A toddler’s death at a Mildura caravan park while celebrating his brother’s birthday is a tragic reminder parents must keep watch of children around water, the state coroner says.

Coroner David Ryan released his findings into the Buronga boy’s death suggesting it could have been prevented if there had been “adequate adult supervision”.

Court documents reveal the four-year-old, who has not been named, drowned while using the splash park at Mildura Riverside Holiday Park on December 13, last year.

The report says the child was wearing a life vest but it was removed when he wanted to use the water slides “more freely”.

The birthday party started in the indoor play area and later the children were allowed into the pool enclosure to swim.

“The gate between the pool enclosure and the ‘splash park’ was left open to enable children to access both areas,” the report says.

As the children started to swim, the toddler’s father was cooking food in the barbecue area and was later asked by his partner to take over supervising their two-year-old daughter in the toddler’s pool.

Shortly after 5.25pm while watching his daughter, a child yelled out “excuse me, there’s something in the pool” in which he turned around to see his son under water.

He immediately jumped in and lifted his son out of the pool before another parent started CPR.

Medical staff and paramedics also tried to bring the child back to life but he was unable to be revived and pronounced dead at 7.25pm.

A 12-year-old child later told police she had seen the toddler come down the slide and not resurface.

“(The toddler’s) death could have been prevented if there had have been adequate adult supervision of the children who were swimming in the large pool,” Mr Ryan said.

“The use of life vests or other buoyancy aids are not a substitute for close, focused and active supervision.

“There may have been an assumption that adequate supervision would be provided given the number of adults attending the event.

“These findings and comments are not made by way of criticism of (the) parents who have suffered a devastating tragedy.

“They are deserving of sympathy and not judgement.”

Mr Ryan said his findings acted as a “salutary” warning.

“The importance of ensuring the safety of children around water cannot be overstated and it should be discussed and planned by caregivers beforehand,” he said.

“It is timely to reiterate and emphasise this message now with another summer having just begun, and much of the Victorian community having recently emerged from lockdowns imposed to manage of the Covid pandemic.”

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