A teenage girl who was killed when two small aluminum boats collided in Sydney’s south on Australia Day will be remembered as “a beautiful soul” by friends and family.
Paramedics were called to the Grays Point boat ramp, about 30km (18.6 miles) south of Sydney’s CBD, about 10.30am on Friday following reports a 16-year-old girl was seriously injured in a crash involving two boats.
Members of the public had pulled Darcy Davey-Sutherland, 16, from the water before a Toll Ambulance rescue chopper winched in a doctor and critical care paramedic to assist her.
She was taken in a critical condition to St George Hospital, where she later died.
Her father, Michael Davey-Sutherland, told Nine News his daughter was “so full of life and love,” and was “the beacon of light within our family” in both the UK and Australia.
Mr Davey-Sutherland said “it’s impossible to comprehend life without her”.
“She was about to embark on the most special part of life as she stepped into adulthood,” he said.
“Words cannot describe the pain we feel at the moment.”
A GoFundMe page set up to help the Davey-Sutherland family has already seen more than $26,300 raised in 24 hours.
Friends and family have shared how devastated they are about the 16-year-old’s death in tributes posted online.
“Will forever love you. You will forever be missed my beautiful angel, I will never forget our time together,” one friend said.
“I will miss you so much Darc, I feel like I’ve lost a part of me,” another said.
Ms Davey-Sutherland had been wearing a lifejacket at the time of the crash.
It’s understood members of the public found her face down in the water and performed CPR on the teenager until paramedics arrived.
NSW Police have since seized the two tinnies for examination and an investigation into the circumstance surrounding this incident has commenced.
Following the crash, two 16-year-old boys were also taken to the same hospital for mandatory testing.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.