Swan River death: Families of children believed to be Syrian refugees

A heartbreaking detail has been revealed about the families of the two young children who were pulled unconscious from a river in Perth.

The families of the two young children who drowned in Perth on New Year’s Eve are believed to be Syrian refugees who had come to Australia after escaping the brutal civil war.

About 5.25pm local time, police were called to the Swan River in Burswood, near Perth’s CBD, following reports a four-year-old girl and six-year-old boy had been pulled unresponsive from the water.

The children, who were unrelated but known to each other, died while being rushed to Perth Children’s Hospital.

Two children have died after they were pulled unconscious from the Swan River. Picture: ABC News

According to The West Australian, the families were known to each other. It’s believed the family of the four-year-old girl had arrived in WA about seven months ago and lived in Perth’s northern suburbs, while the boy’s family was visiting from out of state.

Acting Commander Mark Longman declined to share further details but said it was important to “allow the family to mourn”.

“We can only begin to imagine the trauma and suffering that those families will be experiencing at this time,” he told reporters.

It’s believed the families of the two children were known to teach other and came to Australia as Syrian refugees. Picture: ABC News

A witness at the scene, who watched as bystanders attempted to save the children, said a man pulled the boy and girl out of the water before a woman began CPR.

“From that moment everyone was just gathered around. There was a lot of panic and chaos,” he told the ABC.

He said he also saw the mum of one of the children collapse after witnessing the resuscitation attempt.

“As soon as she came over she dropped on the floor. She collapsed, passed out,” he said.

WA Opposition Leader Libby Mettam has called for an independent review into the deaths and whether the safety concerns raised over the fencing of the nearby Burswood Park playground had been ignored.

While the playground is fenced off, the three entry gates don’t have lockable latches and are able to be easily opened.

“My heart goes out to the families and broader community affected by this tragedy,” she said.

“The Cook government and Minister Paul Papalia have oversight of the Burswood Park board.

Safety concerns have been raised over whether the nearby playground was properly fenced off. Picture: ABC News

“They must move immediately to ensure the playground is secure and initiate an independent review into this tragedy and into any warnings or alerts that may have

been raised about better protection for children using the playgrounds by the river.

“There must be transparency about the government’s response, or lack of response, to any safety warnings.”

She said the review should also examine whether events should be held near the playground given its proximity to the river.

“We obviously can’t fence the river, but where there are playground facilities like

these so close to the water, we must ensure they are safe and secure,” she said.

“It is horrifying to learn that concerns have been raised and seemingly nothing done about them.”