A nurse, two students and a woman on holiday from India have been identified as the four people killed in one of Victoria’s worst drownings.
Melbourne nurse Jagjeet Singh, 23, university students Kirti Bedi and Suhani Anand, both 20, and Reema Sondhi, 43, all died after being pulled from the water at Forrest Caves Beach on Phillip Island on Wednesday.
They are all members of one extended family.
Ms Sondhi was on a family holiday from India and had only been in Australia for two weeks. Her husband, Sanjeev, was also dragged into the surf through a dangerous rip, but was rescued by rescuers.
Indian media reported that “a gloom descended on the family” in Ms Sondhi’s hometown of Phagwara, in Punjab state.
Reema Sondhi, 43, died on Wednesday after being pulled from the water at Forrest Caves Beach
Her husband, Sanjeev, also got into trouble in the water but was rescued by rescuers
Four members of the same family died after being pulled from the water on a Phillip Island beach
The Punjab News Express quoted municipal councilor Vijay Sondhi, who is believed to be Sanjeev’s uncle.
The High Commission of India posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it had been in touch with the victims’ family and friends.
‘Heartbreaking tragedy in Australia: Four Indians died in a drowning incident on Phillip Island, Victoria. Deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” the message said.
Victoria Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Karen Nyholm said the Forrest Caves Beach area was known for dangerous surfing conditions.
“Yesterday afternoon there was an extended family at the beach and four of those family members decided to wade in the water,” she said.
“The waters down here are known for their rifts and treacherous conditions and unfortunately those four people have been swept into what we believe is a rift condition.”
A rip is a very strong and narrow current that pulls the water back to sea. They can pull swimmers from the beach at a speed of about one to two meters per second.
Ms Nyholm said the impact of the deaths would be ‘profound’ on the family, as well as the police, paramedics and life savers who tried to save their lives.
There were harrowing scenes on the beach as lifeguards pulled the bodies from the water on Wednesday.
Someone was heard shouting: ‘I told them not to go; I should have been there.”
Alex Tzatzimakis, who was on the beach, said the situation was “terrible.”
She said beachgoers were in tears as bystanders who heroically brought the four people back to shore performed CPR.
Two women and a man, all in their 20s and living in Melbourne, were pulled unconscious from the water near Forrest Caves, an unguarded beach in the south-west of the island, about 3.20pm on Wednesday.
Pictured: A warning sign at Forrest Caves Beach, warning people of the rough surf
The beach is not patrolled, but there are signs warning swimmers of rough conditions (photo: mourners at the scene on Thursday)
“The family was very upset,” Ms Tzatzimakis told 7News.
‘There seemed to be a group of ten people who came here to have a really nice day. Apparently it has become a tragedy.’
Life Saving Victoria director Kane Treloar said off-duty lifeguards surfing the beach tried to rescue the swimmers.
“When we arrived on scene, our lifeguards discovered that off-duty lifeguards had pulled three of those people from the water and one of our rescue boats had pulled that last person from the water,” he said.
The beach is also not patrolled.
“It’s almost 20 years since we’ve seen a single event that resulted in such a large loss of life in Victorian waters,” he said.
‘Our thoughts go out to all those involved.’
The police do not consider the situation suspicious.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Four people were killed after a mass drowning incident on Phillip Island beach on Wednesday (scene pictured)