A 12-year-old girl who drowned while swimming at a popular beach during school holidays has been identified.
Cienna Jervies got into trouble with another girl, 13, in rough seas at Collendina Beach in Ocean Grove, Victoria at about 6pm on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Cienna‘s family paid tribute to the “much loved, artistic, happy, sometimes shy, sometimes bubbly year 7 girl”.
Cienna was the “most loyal and best friend anyone could have,” the family said.
The heroic rescue efforts of two bystanders were not enough to prevent Cienna, known as Sissy, from drowning.
Local nurse Elise Van Wegen, 35, said she was running with her dog when two women alerted her to the struggling girls.
“I thought ‘I’m a nurse, I know first aid so I’ll give it a crack’,” she told the Geelong Advertiser, describing how she leapt into the turbulent ocean and swam about 100m out to try and help the girls.
Despite Ms Van Wegen’s best efforts, the surf was too rough for her to help the girls.
“I was holding them with my hands and then the waves just separated us all,” she told the Geelong Advertiser.
“I could hear her (Cienna) yelling out ‘I’m drowning’.”
The heroic intervention of another bystander, an unidentified man, helped rescue the 13-year-old girl but nothing could be done to save Cienna.
A friend of the Jervies family has started a fundraiser to support them after the tragedy.
“Jodie and Brent, Cienna’s parents, are understandably unable to work at this time, they are caring for their sons and trying to navigate life and grief,” wrote family friend Zoe Mayne on the GoFundMe page.
“Any donations to help with funeral costs and ongoing expenses to support the Jervies family through this time are greatly appreciated.”
Collendina Beach is known for its rough conditions, big waves and regular rips.
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It has a general hazard rating of 7/10 or “highly hazardous,” according to beachsafe.org.au.
The beach was not being patrolled by the local Life Saving Club at the time of the incident.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
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