Mackay drowning: Dad’s tribute to 4-year-old son Tarrin-Macen O’Sullivan

The heartbroken father of a little boy who died after being pulled unresponsive from a pool says his only son lived a big life in his four short years.

Tarrin-Macen Kenneth O'Sullivan died in Mackay Base Hospital after he was pulled unresponsive from a pool at a Munruba property on Sunday, August 29, 2021. Picture: Contributed

A devastated father who lost his only son in a tragic drowning incident says his little boy lived a big life in his four short years.

Andrew O’Sullivan will forever treasure one of the last photos of his son Tarrin-Macen Kenneth O’Sullivan – taken just a day before he died – for the broad smile that captured his energy.

Tarrin-Macen’s initials TKO, or “technical knockout” in boxing parlance, accurately described the youngster’s zest for life.

But he was tragically found unresponsive in a pool at a Munbura property southwest of Mackay about 5pm Sunday.

He died about two hours later in hospital.

Mr O’Sullivan described his son as an unbelievably smart child full of energy.

“He had, I suppose you could call it, an aura around him – you couldn’t stay angry at the child,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“The life of my boy, as I think about it, it was short but big.”

He said Tarrin-Macen loved the water but was unsure if he had had swimming lessons, and affectionately recalled his son’s ability to “get out of anywhere”.

“He was a Houdini,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“He loved technology, loved phones and televisions. You could play a song and if he loved it, he could recall it instantly.”

Tarrin-Macen Kenneth O'Sullivan is remembered as a technology-mad youngster after he tragically died in hospital after being pulled from a pool at Munbura southwest of Mackay on Sunday, August 29, 2021. Picture: Contributed

Mr O’Sullivan said Tarrin-Macen, whose name was chosen because it was different but “sounded right”, was level 1 autistic and it was the need for better access to help and support that brought the family to Queensland from Leeton, NSW.

The family lived in Seaforth for a period before Mr O’Sullivan moved back to Mackay and Tarrin-Macen with his mum to Munbura.

Mr O’Sullivan said while he was waiting for answers as to what happened he was remembering Tarrin-Macen for the life he lived and what the future may have held.

“Whatever he put his mind to he could just do,” he said.

“He could have been an IT person he was so good with technology.

“He could do things with phones most kids couldn’t dream of.

One of the few photos Andrew O’Sullivan has with his son Tarrin-Macen Kenneth O'Sullivan. Picture: Contributed

“But he had a temper – oh boy did he have a temper – and that was escalated a lot more because of his condition.

“But you couldn’t stay angry at the child.”

Mr O’Sullivan said he had not seen Tarrin-Macen in eight months but received a photo of him on a swing-set on Saturday.

The next day, two police officers knocked on his door to deliver the devastating news.

“I’m just so sad that I’m never going to be able to see him again,” he said.

Originally published as Mackay drowning: Dad’s tribute to 4-year-old son Tarrin-Macen O’Sullivan