Aussie girl, 4, remembered after chilling backyard drowning: 'Loud scream'
Police will now investigate how four-year-old Kreya managed to get into the fenced-off pool in the Adelaide suburb.
The four-year-old girl who drowned after she wandered from her home and fell into a communal swimming pool has been identified as Kreya Patel.
Just after 10.20am on Thursday, paramedics were called to a Klemzig address, in Adelaide's northeast, after reports a young girl had been pulled from a pool unconscious. Little Kreya, who was autistic and non-verbal, is understood to have been under the care of father Jigar at the time, while her mum Dipti was at work.
The four-year-old was pulled from the water unconscious and rushed to The Women’s and Children’s Hospital, but was unable to be revived. Authorities are not treating the incident as suspicious.
Pooja Rani, 37, who lives near the family, said she witnessed the gut-wrenching moment Dipti screamed when she found out her daughter had drowned.
"At the time the girl fell into the water, only her dad was home and (her) mum was at work," Rani told The Adelaide Advertiser. "But I saw the mum running down the street and she was crying. Later when she reached the house there was a very loud scream."
'Playful' Kreya remembered
Remembering a "playful" Kreya, Rani said she knew the family as their children would play together.
"That four-year-old girl used to play with my kids. Her name was Kreya," she said. "She was very playful."
Disturbing details emerge after Aussie schoolgirl drowns on family holiday
Dad who vanished saving three kids at popular Aussie beach 'a national hero'
Police investigate drowning
The pool in which Kreya drowned in is fitted with a latch for safety, though it's not known how she managed to unlock it or if it was at the time functioning properly. According to reports, residents claimed there had been at least one incident previously where the pool gate failed to close properly.
Another neighbour, Himanshu Patel, 28, said Kreya’s dad was in their yard working away at the "little garden" at the time of the tragedy. A report is being prepared for the coroner.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
