A 10-year-old primary school student and her 36-year-old stepmother have been identified as the two people who died after their car plunged into a dam on a rural Queensland property.
Emergency crews were called to Springvale Road at Tinana South, near Maryborough, shortly before 5.30pm on Thursday after a blue Subaru Tribeca was reported to have entered the water.
Arliyah James, 10, and her stepmother, Lisa, 36, were found inside the submerged vehicle. Efforts by Arliyah’s father and a nearby farmer to save them were unsuccessful.
Arliyah’s mother, Sarah Gorman, has remembered her daughter as a “beautiful blue-eyed, blonde-haired princess” following the heartbreaking tragedy.
In an emotional tribute shared on Friday, Ms Gorman described Arliyah as the family’s “wild child” and said the young girl had brought immeasurable love into their lives.
“The one who kept me on my toes and made all our hearts burst with love,” she told The Courier-Mail.
“Love you all the way below the fishes and all the way up, up above with the clouds, where you now are, our lil angel.”
“My heart will forever be missing its beat, my baby. I love you so much. I’m so sorry, my baby.”
Sarah Gorman has paid tribute to her 10-year-old daughter Arliyah (pictured), who died alongside her stepmother after their car plunged into a dam
Arliyah James, 10, and her stepmother, Lisa, 36 (pictured), died after their vehicle left Springvale Road and entered a dam at Tinana South on Thursday
Emergency services attended the rural Queensland property shortly before 5.30pm on Thursday following reports that a car had crashed into a dam
The pair were reportedly travelling to Maryborough to collect other children from school when the Subaru veered off the road, broke through a fence and crashed into a dam on a neighbouring property.
Arliyah’s father, Steve James, is understood to have started looking for them after the school contacted him to report that the children had not been picked up.
He found the vehicle overturned in the dam, and a nearby farmer immediately entered the water in an attempt to rescue Arliyah and his partner.
Farmer Joel Hinschen, 45, said he had been working on his property when he noticed the submerged car.
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“I got in the water and pulled them both out of the car,” he told ABC News on Friday.
Mr Hinschen called Triple Zero before wading into water that reached his neck.
His father reportedly began CPR on Arliyah, continuing until firefighters arrived and took over the resuscitation effort.
Maryborough Patrol Group Inspector Paul Algie commended Mr Hinschen for his actions and described him as a hero.
“That property owner is a hero,” he said.
The pair were reportedly on their way to Maryborough to collect other children from school when their blue Subaru veered off the road, smashed through a fence and plunged into a dam
Queensland Police’s Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash
‘What he did was incredibly brave and incredibly traumatic, given that the lady’s partner was right with him at the time,’ Mr Algie said.
Arliyah’s relative, Summah Brakenridge, also paid tribute to the young girl, remembering her as full of life.
‘She was full of life, she was the most beautiful big smile, full of energy,’ she said.
‘Just an absolutely down-to-earth, beautiful little girl. That will never be forgotten.’
Flowers have since been left near the dam in tribute to Arliyah and Lisa.
Queensland Police’s Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash, including whether speed or driver inattention may have contributed.
Police have urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam or CCTV footage of the vehicle in the lead-up to the crash to come forward.