Four Indians died after drowning at the Philip Island beach in Australia’s Victoria, the Indian High Commission in Canberra said in a statement on Thursday.
“Heartbreaking tragedy in Australia: 4 Indians lost their lives in a drowning incident at Phillip Island, Victoria,” the statement on X read. The Commission further stated that the team of the Consulate General of India in Melbourne is in contact with the friends of the victims for “all necessary assistance”.
“Deepest condolences to families of victims,” the statement read.
In an official statement, the Victoria Police said that emergency services responded to reports of three women and a men “in difficulty in the water” about 3:30 pm (local time) on January 25.
While two women and the man were pronounced dead at the scene after being pulled from the water, the fourth person – another woman – was flown to a hospital in a critical condition. She succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.
The Victoria Police said that the victims are to be formally identified and their deaths “are not being treated as suspicious”.
“Police will prepare a report for the coroner,” the police statement further mentioned.
According to The Guardian, two of the three women victims were in their 20s while the man was 40-years-old. It added that after pulling them from water, first responders administered CPR on all four, but three died at the scene.
The incident took place near Forrest Caves, on the island’s south-western coast, when the four people were swimming at the “unpatrolled” Philip Island beach.
The fourth person who died was airlifted to Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital.
The family and friends of the victims were reportedly very upset once they arrived on the scene, a witness told Australia’s 7News. They were reportedly “crying and comforting each other”.