Tragic Gold Coast hotel drowning claims two lives
Tragedy struck on the Gold Coast over the Easter weekend, when a father and grandfather drowned in a hotel pool trying to save a toddler who slipped into the pool just before 7pm on Sunday.
Dharmvir Singh, 38, and Gurjinder Singh, 65, from Clyde North in Victoria jumped into the deep end of the pool to rescue the girl, but the father and grandfather instead found themselves in trouble.
The toddler was saved by bystanders, however the two men had already gone into cardiac arrest when they were pulled from the water.
Bystanders and paramedics applied CPR on the men, but they were pronounced dead at the scene.
"It's an extremely emotional scene," Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) Inspector Mitchell Ware said.
"Obviously, anyone could understand that — not just to lose one family member but to lose two family members."
One witness called the scene confronting.
"It wasn't good … it was pretty horrendous," said the witness, who did not wish to be named.
Ware warned people to always remain vigilant around water.
"We do see increases in post-immersion cases in and around the Easter long weekend and especially around the school holidays," he said.
According to the Royal Life Saving Society 281 people drowned in 2023, with more than half the deaths being people over the age of 45.
"I will just reiterate just to the community to exercise due care especially if you're not a strong swimmer and especially if there's young children around that you are really careful," Ware said.
"We know that children and even adults can drown within a couple of seconds if they find themselves in those sort of situations."
A coroner’s report is now being prepared.
Jonathan Jackson, 2nd April 202
