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A five-year-old boy who died after being found unresponsive at a popular swimming hole has been farewelled by his mother who lost her ‘beautiful, blessed baby’.
Emergency services were called to Bents Basin near Greendale in Sydney’s far south-west about 5.15pm on Saturday when the boy was found unconscious.
James was rushed to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition where he died about 7pm.
His single mother Emily gave a heart-wrenching description of her son as friends rallied to raise funds to pay for the funeral and associated costs.
‘James is a very positive kid, he was the sunshine of our house. Every time I was stressing out he will come and hug me tight,’ she wrote on a GoFundMe.
‘He is very helpful and kind. My James would always come to our door when someone knocks and will show you his biggest, widest, and most precious smile. He’s our barrier to negativity. Very beautiful and blessed baby.’
Emily’s friend Mark Serdina, has started the campaign to raise money for the single mother, who has two other children.
The pair had been on a camping trip with friends when suddenly ‘everyone was panicking and shouting for help when they pulled him out of the water’.
James, five, died after he was pulled unresponsive from Bents Basin, in NSW, on Saturday. The toddler is being remembered by his mother as a ‘beautiful and blessed baby’
‘When people were helping I stayed next to James holding his hands begging [for him to] come back, but James’ chest did not breathe at all,’ he wrote.
‘His face was already a different color, his hands were cold. People tried to cover his legs as he was cold, while the paramedics continued to help him.’
Meanwhile, the boy’s mother was ‘crying, screaming, jumping’.
‘My friends, and other people tried to comfort her and they covered her view with a towel so as not to see James,’ Mark said.
He said losing James was the ‘hardest thing’ Emily will ever experience.
‘This is an unimaginable loss for Emily and her family, and any support would mean the world during this difficult time,’ he wrote.
‘Emily needs all the help she can get to pay for James’ funeral costs and other costs that come to this. The more we can help her lessen the burden the better she can get back on providing her two kids’ well-being, education and their future.
‘Emily may also need help with going through this mentally and emotionally, she may need to see counselling to help cope with the loss of her son James.’
Emergency services were called to Bents Basin (pictured) near Greendale in Sydney’s far south-west about 5.15pm on Saturday amid reports a boy was unconscious
James’ death comes just one month after the 22metre-deep swimming hole reopened following flood recovery works.
The incident has ignited calls for a safety review of the basin, and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has launched an investigation.
It follows the death of a 27-year-old man there in 2019 and a 25-year-old man in 2016.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
