RELATIVES and the Rathmines community have rallied in support of the grieving family of three-year-old Oscar Philp who drowned metres away from his waterfront home on Fishing Point Road at Rathmines on Christmas Day.
He has been remembered as a beautiful little boy by his Aunt, Hon Milosevski, who has started a GoFundMe fundraiser which had raised nearly $11,000 by Tuesday morning.
The toddler, who has Autism, wandered off from the home, and found his way to the water through a gate while his parents were running a bath for him, at about 6.30pm.a relative told the Newcastle Herald.
He was pulled from the water and attempts were made to revive him before paramedics arrived but he could not be resuscitated and died at the scene.
The family is devastated, his stepmother, Indianna Conway, described him on social media as "our little angel".
"Goodbye sweet darling Oscar, we love you always, our little angel", she said.
"Thank you all that have posted or left flowers and bears down at the water, we appreciate it all."
His aunt said their lives would never be the same again.
"I am creating this page to ask friends, family and members of the community to come together and hopefully take some of the further stress off of them as they have enough to deal with at this very sad time," she says on the GoFundMe page.
"If you could please make a donation no matter how small it would be greatly appreciated from all of Oscar's family and loved ones in giving Oscar a beautiful send off."
One donor said it was the true meaning of tragedy. "Please lean on friends and family love will prevail," he said.
"No words are adequate, but just take comfort from our love and support at this unmanageable time," another contributor said.
The danger period for drownings has begun, according to analysis of Royal Life Saving Australia data, which reveals that the eight days from Christmas Day to New Year's Day are the deadliest period for drownings, with 201 lives lost over the past 15 years.
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