A heartbroken mother is searching for answers after her four-year-old daughter drowned in a neighbor’s pool days before Christmas.
Rhiannon Egan-Lee took her eyes off Ivy for a moment to make coffee on December 17.
In the four minutes it took to boil the kettle, Ivy crashed through a wooden fence at her rental property in Morwell, 150 kilometers east of Melbourne.
She was found unconscious in the neighbor’s backyard pool.
The girl was airlifted to the Royal Children’s Hospital, where the family made the heartbreaking decision to turn off life support on Saturday after an 11-day fight for life.
‘She should be safe in her own backyard for four minutes while I make coffee, you know? Four minutes,” Mrs Egan-Lee said. Seven news.
‘She was so full of life. I was so full of love. She is very funny and is always laughing, dancing and spinning around.”
“She put up the hardest fight of her life. He did it very well. I’m very proud of her.’
Four-year-old Ivy died after drowning in a neighbor’s pool and could not be saved after 11 days on life support.
Mother Rhiannon Egan-Lee was in the kitchen making coffee when tragedy struck.
The family believes Ivy climbed into the neighbor’s backyard by moving a palisade on the boundary fence.
The fence of his rental house appeared to have holes in the worn slats.
Latrobe Valley Council has since erected a temporary fence around the neighbour’s swimming pool.
The imminent installation of a permanent fence is planned.
The family wants answers about who is responsible for ensuring the safety of the fence and pool: the housing cooperative that manages the rental, the neighbor or the city council.
“The fence had been up at two meetings, two meetings before,” Ms Egan-Lee said.
“There are strict safety regulations,” he added.
The council has since erected a temporary fence around the backyard pool, but Egan-Lee wants to know who is to blame.
A real estate agent told Seven News the pool had previously passed a council safety check.
Latrobe Valley Council, however, could not confirm this.
TO GoFundMe was established to help cover the costs of Ivy’s funeral.
“We want nothing more than to make the brightest, most miraculous day possible for our little superheroes,” the page states.
‘Our little feisty, loving and happy, creepy and spooky little superstar, always remembered and loved every moment of every day.
Ms Egan-Lee added: “(I) just want to give you the best and most magical day.” I want to write his name in the sky.’
The fundraiser had raised nearly $10,200 as of Tuesday night.
One daycare teacher recalled how Ivy never failed to brighten her day.
“I still remember how she always put a smile on my face when she stood on the fence to yell ‘bye-bye’ and wave at me as I walked to my car to leave work,” he wrote.
‘She never wore ‘normal clothes’ to daycare, just her costumes and she didn’t mind at all what others thought of it. “Ivy was a very happy and smiling girl, who loved to give hugs and cuddles to her educators.”