Brother of little boy who drowned after going missing shares family’s heartbreak

The brother of a little boy whose body was found after a massive search in Logan has spoken about his family’s devastation, the moments leading up to the tragedy and how he now breaks down when looking at their photos.

Seven-year-old Zepvontay “Uni” Tafili, from Kingston, whose body was found Sunday morning.

The heartbroken brother of a little boy who drowned after an 18-hour long search throughout Logan has opened up about his family’s devastation.

Zepvontay (Uni) Tafili was last seen on Queens Rd at Slacks Creek about 5pm on Saturday prompting hundreds of people to search for him throughout the night and into Sunday morning.

He was found by police divers in a nearby river on Sunday, sparking an outpouring of grief from the community.

Nathaniel Nikola, 15, speaking on behalf of his devastated family, said his little brother was an adventurous kid, who always had a smile on his face and loved swimming.

He said the bond he shared with his little brother was cemented by the fact that they shared the same birthday.

“My little brother Zepvontay, he was a very energetic boy, very adventurous,” Nathaniel said.

“He lived his life to the fullest. There was always a smile on his face. And it’s just not going to be the same without my little boy.

“He loved cars. My little bro, he loved eating a lot. He loves strawberries, Kinder Surprises, he was a big fan of all the lollies.”

Zepvontay's older brother Nathaniel Nikola, 15, has spoken about his family's devastation.

He said Zepvontay had just wandered off from their family home.

“My little bro was with my little sister, they were playing with each other and they were just watching movies together throughout his last moments together,” he said.

“And then I came back from my room just to see the door open, I panicked straight away, I went looking everywhere.”

Nathaniel said the family were grieving and mourning the loss of his brother.

Zepvontay Tafili drowned after going missing from his home in Logan. Picture: Supplied

“I miss you a lot my bro. It’s going to be hard without seeing you at home, it’s hard for me as well because every corner I turn, I just see my bro as if nothing happened,” he said.

“Every time I look at his photos, I just break into tears, he didn’t deserve to go out like that.

“He was taken too early. It wasn’t his time yet. It wasn’t my little bro’s time to go. He had so much to live for. I promised him I was going to protect him throughout his life. The one time I wasn’t there for him he needed me the most.”

SES, police and members of the community searched for the little boy. Picture Lachie Millard

But he said the family were trying to do their best to get through it.

“People just keep telling us to keep our heads high, stay strong. We really are. We’re trying. I’m trying my best to do to do that,” he said.

“But I know my little bro’s watching me from up there. He’s looked after, he’s in safe hands now.

“It’s just hard seeing your own family cry and you just you can’t do anything about it. The best you can do is just trying to hug them and support them.”

Nathaniel said he was so grateful for the amount of people that helped search for his brother.

“We didn’t expect that many people to come out and help us look for my little bro,” he said.

“I thank the whole community for coming out.

“It just shows how great Logan is. The community, they stick together.”

Nathaniel said he was also so thankful for the community who raised more than $20,000 from a GoFundMe in 24 hours.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/zepvontay-uni-tafili

Originally published as Brother of little boy who drowned after going missing shares family’s heartbreak