The devastated mother of a toddler who drowned in a dam are mourning the loss of her ‘miracle’ child born after five miscarriages.
Elenore Lindsay, 3, was found dead in the dam just 150m from the house in Cootharaba, near Noosa in Queensland, about midnight on Tuesday.
The little girl slipped out of the home about 1.30pm on Monday, sparking a huge search by the SES and more than 300 locals.
Her mother Rowena, grandfather Errol, and aunt Tina Day told Daily Mail Australia they were struggling to come to terms with her death.
Elenore Lindsay, 3, was found dead in the dam just 150m from her house in Cootharaba, near Noosa in Queensland, on Monday
Elenore was born seven week prematurely with a defective heart. Her mother Rowena (pictured) had five miscarriages before her only child was born
‘She’s never wandered off before and never been to that dam. She’s never been allowed near it,’ Ms Lindsay said.
‘We can’t understand why she was there… no one can.’
Ms Day said Elenore was born seven week prematurely with a defective heart. Rowena had five miscarriages before her only child was born.
‘Elenore was Rowena’s miracle, she tried for years and never thought she would be a mum so this is hell – her little girl was her world,’ she said.
‘She fought tooth and nail to be here with her mum. She was one of those little kids who lit up a room and everyone smiled when they looked at her.’
Ms Day explained Elenore was watching TV with her mother, who went to the bathroom and to get the house phone and returned to find her gone.
‘Rowena was just doing normal things around the house like every mum does,’ she said.
‘Elenore was just normal kid in the bush, she would play in puddles, she’d follow her poppy everywhere and she and was the light of her mum’s life, everything she lived for,’ her aunt said
Elenore was watching TV with her mother, who went to the bathroom and to get the house phone and returned to find her gone
‘She’s never wandered off before and never been to that dam. She’s never been allowed near it,’ Ms Lindsay (pictured) said
‘It just takes a split second, you’re not looking and everyone thinks she’s with someone else and suddenly they realise she’s not. And then she’s gone, so fast and so cruelly.
‘It’s happened to so many families on so many properties and no matter how hard you try to prevent it, it happens.
‘She’s so adventurous and curious and full of life. There’s no rhyme or reason.’
Mr Lindsay, a renowned local fisherman who collapsed when he heard the news, fought back tears as he paid tribute to his beloved granddaughter.
‘She’s the most beautiful, pure little soul,’ he said.
Ms Day said Elenore was her mother’s world and had an infectious energy that delighted everyone around her.
‘Elenore was just normal kid in the bush, she would play in puddles, she’d follow her poppy everywhere and she and was the light of her mum’s life, everything she lived for,’ she said.
‘She was an absolute blessing and no one is sure how to survive this… we have a lot to process.’
A longtime neighbour was the last person to see Elenore alive as she walked across the grass near the house
Elenore was reported missing about 3.30pm when she was nowhere to be found and her family thanked emergency services and the hundreds of locals who rushed out to help search
A Triple-0 call was made just after 3.30pm on Monday, with authorities told the girl, named by relatives as Elenore or ‘Ellie’, had gone missing from a home in Cootharaba
Elenore was reported missing about 3.30pm when she was nowhere to be found and her family thanked emergency services and the hundreds of locals who rushed out to help search.
‘The community support is astounding and we want to thank everyone for their messages of support and all the people who came out and helped look for Elenore,’ Ms Day said.
‘The police, SES, and firefighters have been exceptional and so caring. I can’t thank them enough.
‘Now we just try and survive.’
Ms Day also issued a note of thanks on social media: ‘After a night of hell and days of it to come. I wish to say thank you to all the messages of love and support.
‘Elenore was the most beautiful little soul and my heart is broken.’
Another of Elenore’s aunts, Penny Lindsay, said a longtime neighbour was the last person to see her alive as she walked across the grass near the house.
He didn’t think anything of it as the little girl seemed to be heading back inside. It was not known how she later ended up at the dam.
At about midnight, police divers located the child in a dam 150m from the house
Elenore went missing from a property with lots of dams nearby and police searched them
Penny organised a fundraiser on Tuesday morning to help pay for the little girl’s funeral.
‘Thank you to everyone who helped, there are about 300 of you who we cannot thank enough some where still looking until police found her and we appreciate everything that you all did and the support that came along,’ she said.
‘We searched so hard hoping she was curled up asleep and unfortunately she was so close all along.
‘RIP Elenore, you will be missed you didn’t deserve this.’
Penny encouraged friends, family, and local well-wishers to place flowers and teddy bears at the front gate to the property.
‘Rowena will be filled with joy when she arrives later on,’ she said.
Police are investigating Elenore’s death and preparing a report for the coroner.