Tragic new details emerge about young boy who died in G.J. Gardner display home pool in Kialla
An eight-year-old boy with special needs wandered off from his home during a family birthday party before he drowned in a swimming pool at a brand-new display home.
Shocked neighbours have revealed harrowing new details about the tragedy that has rocked the small country town of Kialla near Shepparton in Victoria’s north.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene of a G.J. Gardner display home at about 7pm on Sunday after the boy was found unresponsive in the backyard pool.
Paramedics performed CPR, but the boy could not be revived.
It’s understood that he wandered off from the family home about 300metres away.
It was one of two drowning deaths in Victoria within 24 hours.
The eight-year-old’s shattered family gathered at the scene of the tragedy on Monday as neighbours recalled the frantic search efforts to find the missing boy.
It’s understood that attempts by emergency workers to locate a defibrillator at a nearby fast-food outlet were unsuccessful.
Shattered family members gathered outside the display home where an eight-year-old boy with special needs drowned on Sunday night
The boy wandered off from his Kialla home and was found unresponsive in a pool at a nearby display home
‘The family was looking around,’ neighbour Mert Tetik told Nine News.
‘They’ve obviously never thought that that’s where he would be located.
‘It’s quite devastating. It’s obviously shook us as a community as well.’
Many children live in the new housing estate.
‘There are plenty of display homes in the area, but this is the only one that has a swimming pool, so this is very concerning for this to happen,’ Ernst Ndisa told the ABC.
‘It’s very sad. We are really shocked.’
Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
The G.J. Gardner display home opened just two months ago.
The G.J. Gardner display home in Kialla opened just two months ago
A woman and child drowned in Dandenong Creek in a separate incident on Monday afternoon
The building company said the pool was fenced and compliant with all safety regulations.
‘We extend our sincere condolences to the family of the young boy, and our thoughts remain with them as they navigate this heartbreaking time,’ a G.J. Gardner spokesperson said.
‘We will continue to do everything within our power to support the authorities with their investigation.
‘We are also providing support to the Shepparton team as they are understandably distressed by this tragedy.’
Less than 24 hours later, a child and their mother drowned in Dandenong Creek in Melbourne’s south-east.
It’s understood the woman entered the water in an attempt to rescue the child when she began struggling in the water.
There were 357 drownings across Australia in 2024-25, according to the National Drowning report.
Private pools account for 10 per cent of drownings.
The latest tragedies are ‘a sad and timely reminder’ for parents and carers to keep a vigilant eye on children at all times when around water.
‘Children remain one of the highest risk groups for drowning with home pools, bathtubs and dams leading locations for these incidents,’ a Life Saving Victoria spokesperson said.
‘We encourage parents and caregivers to actively supervise children at all times when around water, enrol your child in swimming and water safety lessons, learn CPR so you can assist in an emergency, and restrict children’s access to pools and other water bodies by ensuring there are sufficient barriers in place.’
