Wonthaggi drowning: Heartbroken father speaks out
A teenage girl who drowned trying to save her little brother on a Victorian beach would "light up anyone's day with her smile".
Holly Nicholson, 13, had tried to rescue her 11-year-old brother Sam at Williamsons Beach near Wonthaggi when he got into trouble about 8pm on Thursday.
Her heartbroken father has also spoken of his anguish at watching his young daughter disappear in the surf.
“No parents should have to bury their child,” he said.
“Even though I called her back and my son said go back Holly she said no way I'm not leaving you,” the father said.
Harry Nicholson has welcomed an investigation into the delayed ambulance response time as friends remember the vibrant and much loved teen.
“There was some confusion as to our location when we were talking to the triple zero operator,” he said.
Friends of the popular schoolgirl gathered today remembering a vibrant teenager with crazy red hair who would do anything for others.
Wonthaggi Secondary College principal Garry Dennis said Holly was well-liked by her fellow students.
“She would light up anyone's day with her smile," he told reporters on Friday.
"She was a very kind and caring student, she was someone who was always concerned with the welfare of others."
Holly ran into the surf to help pull Sam from the water as he struggled to get back to the beach.
He survived but Holly got into trouble and was pulled unresponsive from the water and died on the sand.
Her family, police and paramedics tried to revive the her for more than an hour but she died at the scene.
Sam was taken to the Monash Medical Centre with minor injuries.
A 24-minute delay between a triple zero emergency call being placed and an ambulance being sent to the beach is being investigated.
Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett said the call was made at 8.20pm, but the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority didn't pass the information on until 8.44pm.
"There was a complicated sequence of events that will need to be gone through very carefully by this investigation," Ms Garrett told reporters on Friday.
"We are very concerned that it took some 24, 25 minutes for an ambulance to be dispatched."
Ambulance Victoria sent an ambulance as soon as the information was passed on, and it arrived at 9.01pm.
Ms Garrett said ESTA was investigating the timing of the ambulance dispatch.
Ms Garrett said Holly's family had been told about the investigation and her thoughts were with them.
News break – February 13
