‘Ali’s lifeless body in her arms’: Heartbroken mum’s plea to save other children from drowning

The last photo Rebecca Johns has of her child is of her by Lake Nagambie, with bun in her teeth. Shortly afterwards Ali drowned. Now the grieving mum wants new life jacket laws to save others.

A Victorian woman whose five-year-old daughter tragically drowned at a popular holiday hotspot last Christmas is pleading with the state government to make a “lifesaving” change to the law.

Life Saving Victoria has joined grieving mother Rebecca Johns in calling for greater funding to expand services to lakes, rivers, creeks and dams after recent budget cuts slashed hopes of running regular patrols in the regions.

Ms Johns, who lost her daughter Alison during the deadliest Christmas on Victorian waterways in 20 years, is also pushing for a new law that would require children under the age of six to wear life jackets at inland waterways.

The single mum is sending a dire warning to parents ahead of what is expected to be a hot summer, hoping no parent has to lose a child to the state’s waterways this Christmas.

Rebecca Johns with her daughter Alison's ashes and photo. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

On December 27 last year, Ms Johns and her extended family arrived at Lake Nagambie in central Victoria, as temperatures climbed to 37 degrees.

“Lake Nagambie is a spot my family has been going to for 60 years. I went there when I was a kid, so we knew the area well,” she said.

“It was a beautiful place and it was so hot, so we automatically went into the water.”

Ms Johns said little Alison, who was sharing a floatie ring and a life vest with a relative who was a similar age, was having the time of her life.

“She was having so much fun. She comes back and she says, “mum, did you see what I did?” she said.

“I said, baby, you are amazing.

“She loved the day. That day was just all about her.”

Wanting to capture the moment, Ms Johns pulled out her phone to take photos.

They would be the last photos taken of Alison alive.

“We sat down for a quick snack and had hot cross buns, and I actually took a photo of her because she had it all in her teeth,” she laughs.

“I didn’t realise that was going to be the last photo of her.”

Just minutes later, her worst nightmare would unfold on the banks of the popular lake.

“Alison was excited to head back into the water,” she said.

“It was that point in the day in the afternoon where we were all pretty relaxed.”

“We have this family tradition where we swim out to the yellow buoy, and I thought, hey, I’ve actually never swam out to the buoy.”

Ms Johns with Alison in happier times. Picture: Supplied

Alison was just five when she died. Picture: Supplied

Ms Johns told Alison to grab the sunscreen and stay on the grass, where she could see her.

“I have always had eyes and ears out for my daughter, always,” she said.

“It was just me and her.

“But I thought, she’s old enough. I could see her from where I was in the water.”

A minute or so later, Ms Johns saw Alison was back in the water with her green floatie ring on.

“I yelled at her to go back up, and I saw her turn to get out, so I turned around and continued to swim towards the buoy”,” she said.

“But I should have watched her. If I had just watched her I would have actually seen what she dropped.”

Later, it would be discovered that Alison had fallen through her floatie ring in a deeper part of the shore line, among the reeds.

But in that moment, as Ms Johns turned around again to check on her, seconds later, she assumed she had run off to be with her relatives.

“I assumed Alison was out of the water because her flotation device was on the opposite side to where we had all had our set up,” she said.

“There were other family members around as well who I thought were also keeping watch.

“But then someone came running down and said “where’s Alison? ”’

Struck by panic, Ms Johns jumped out of the water and quickly began desperately searching for her daughter.

“I began panicking because we were wasting seconds because I don’t know where my daughter was,” she said.

Alison was “such a beautiful child”, says her grieving mum. Picture: Supplied

“We were lucky enough that a police patrol was just going past us, so they were on scene within seconds of my phone call.”

At that moment, Ms Johns heard her relative’s voice: “I found her.”

“I turned around and saw Ali’s lifeless body in her arms,” she said

“I immediately dropped.”

Paramedics, who were quickly on scene, began CPR.

Clinging to hope, Ms Johns began begging for her daughter to wake up.

“I was telling my daughter to come back. I was telling her you can do this, baby, come on,” she said.

Despite their best attempts, an hour later, Alison was pronounced dead.

“My whole body just shut down. And I swear I could hear her tell me: let me go mummy. I was so furious. I’m like no, you come back,” she said.

“Ever since that day, I have played it back every single scene, the timeline, the last time I saw her face.

“She was such a beautiful child.”

Ms Johns is now calling for all children under the age of six to be required to wear a life jacket at inland waterways across Victoria.

“We need immediate action,” she said.

“We have a licence to drive. We have a law that means we have to wear our seatbelts.”

The heartbroken mother is pleading with parents to “always have eyes on your child”.

“That split second is all it takes,” she said.

“I know there are going to be more drowning deaths this summer. And I know how these parents are going to feel.

“I want my daughter’s death to mean something.”

Liam Krige, general manager of Lifesaving Services at LSV Life Saving Victoria said inland waterways had been identified as “high-risk locations” accounting for a third of all deaths in Victoria.

Alison died at Lake Nagambie. Now her mother cherishes the last photos of her alive and is fighting for lifesaving new laws. Picture: Supplied

“Last financial year we saw a 14 per cent increase in drowning deaths in inland waterways compared to the previous 10 year average,” he said.

Mr Krige said securing more funding was “crucial” to expanding patrols to regional areas.

“While our current funding does not extend to service provision at inland waterways, parallel to beach services, we are collaborating with key stakeholders and partners.”

If expenses continue to rise, Mr Krige said the LSV will have to “reassess the range of services we can offer”.

He said LSV would be open to assessing the viability of mandating the use of life jackets for young children in proximity to rivers, creeks, lakes, and dams.

A government spokesperson recommended parents ensure their kids are fitted with safety devices in the water but stopped short of promising to consider a law change.

“We urge anyone visiting Victoria’s beautiful waterways this summer to put their safety first – swim between the flags, never swim alone or when you’ve been drinking and always wear a lifejacket if you’re on a boat, fishing, or not a confident swimmer,” they said.