Fourth person from extended family confirmed dead after drowning at Phillip Island

A horrendous mass drowning at a Victorian beach has become even more tragic after a heartbreaking update from authorities.

A young woman flown to hospital from the scene of a mass drowning at a dangerous Victorian beach has died, police have confirmed, marking the state’s worst drowning incident in almost 20 years.

Four people from an extended Indian family have now died after the tragic incident at Newhaven, Phillip Island, where they were found unresponsive in the water on Wednesday afternoon.

Victoria Police Eastern Region Assistant Commissioner, Karen Nyholm revealed on Thursday the victims were a man and two women in their 20s, and a woman in her 40s.

“It was an extended family group that came down here,” she said.

Asst Com Nyholm said a 43-year-old woman who died was an “international guest” holidaying in Australia, and police have confirmed the other three victims lived in the Melbourne suburb of Clyde.

Heart breaking tragedy in Australia: 4 Indians lost their lives in a drowning incident at Phillip Island, Victoria. Deepest condolences to families of the victims. @cgimelbourne team is in touch with friends of the deceased for all necessary assistance.@MEAIndia@DrSJaishankar

— India in Australia (@HCICanberra) January 25, 2024

The High Commission of India in Australia posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying it had been in touch with the group’s family and friends.

“Heartbreaking tragedy in Australia: 4 Indians lost their lives in a drowning incident at Phillip Island, Victoria. Deepest condolences to families of the victims,” the post read.

Three people, the man and two women, died at the scene, while the third woman aged in her 20s was rushed to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

Loved ones of the drowning victims comforted each other at the scene.

She was flown to hospital in a critical condition on Wednesday and later died.

Victoria Police said the deceased were yet to be formally identified and their deaths were not being treated as suspicious.

“This tragedy has taken the lives of four people and it’s fair to say the impact will be profound on those families,” Asst Com Nyholm said.

Off duty lifeguards were among the first responders who tried desperately to save the group about 3:30pm yesterday at Forrest Caves Beach.

Emergency services believe the group was wading in the water before being caught in a rip.

An aerial of the beach during the emergency. Picture: 7 NEWS,

The beach is not patrolled by lifeguards. PICTURE : NCA Newswire / Nicki Connolly

Witnesses reported people crying and comforting each other as emergency services performed CPR on the patients.

One man could be heard wailing, according to the Herald Sun, “I told them not to go – I should have been there.”

“The family was really upset,” witness Alex Tzatzimakis told 7 News.

Four people have died. Picture: 7 NEWS

“There seemed to be a group of 10 people who came here for a really nice day. Obviously it turned to tragedy.”

On Thursday, Life Saving Victoria director Kane Treloar said it was the worst drowning incident the state had seen in decades.

A witness described the scene as ‘horrible’. Picture: 7News

“It’s been almost 20 years since we’ve seen a single event that’s resulted in such a high number of loss of life in Victorian waters,” he said, referring to an incident in Stingray Bay in the state’s south west, where five family members were caught by a wave and killed in 2005.

“Our thoughts do go out to all those people involved.”

Forrest Caves is a popular tourist destination on Phillip Island known for its sea caves.

The beach is known among locals as a notoriously dangerous swimming spot, and not patrolled by lifeguards.

“If the island is going to be pushed so hard as a tourist destination there will be more and more incidents,” one local wrote on social media.

Less than two weeks ago, a man drowned at Surf Beach, just 2km northwest of Forrest Caves, on January 13.

Another man aged in his 20s died at Kilcunda Surf Beach, also on the Bass Coast, on January 12.