According to locals, the drowning of a young child in a poorly fenced suburban lagoon on Mother’s Day was a tragedy waiting to happen.
Four-year-old Ali Aminzadah, from Swan Hill in north-west Victoria, was visiting his family in Officer, in Melbourne’s south-east, with his parents on Sunday afternoon when he wandered away.
Less than 50 meters across the road from the house is a wetland area, where they found Ali unconscious and could not revive him.
Currently, the only thing separating the lagoon and the suburbs is a small wire fence.
Ali’s family and residents now want the council to improve the fencing around the wetlands in the hope that a similar tragedy does not happen again.
Ali Aminzadah (pictured) drowned on Sunday after wandering from his family home to a nearby wetland area.
Ali’s parents have remembered Ali as a “fun-loving” child with a “big smile.”
They also told Nine News they are furious at the lack of fencing around the lagoon.
Local Tammy Gauld agreed, describing the lack of security around the lagoon as “an accident waiting to happen.”
“Very often you see children around the lake,” he said. 7News.
“I really think the council needs to look at the fences to see what they can do and put in something better than what’s there.”
“A lot of young families live here, you often see them passing by every day with their young children, so it is very worrying if a child manages to get away from their parents, there is a large body of water that attracts them.”
Ali’s family spent 30 minutes frantically searching before he was found unconscious in the water. Several neighbors passed by the lagoon at that time.
The child could not be revived and died at the scene.
A poorly maintained wire fence (pictured) is the only measure in place to prevent children from entering the wetlands.
The council responsible for maintaining the fence surrounding the wetlands, Cardinia Shire Council, has offered its condolences to Ali’s family.
However, he declined to comment on possible investigations into the fence.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Cardinia Shire Council for comment.
Victoria Police are not treating Ali’s death as suspicious and will prepare a report for the coroner.
