‘Please come back to me’: Girlfriend of man who drowned with his best mate after their Mercedes smashed through a barricade into wetlands shares heartbreaking tribute
- Jason Gilham, 27, formally identified as one of the deceased men on Sunday
- It is understood the other man was Bradley Dobney, with the pair close mates
- The men desperately tried to free themselves from the car, but both drowned
The girlfriend of a man who died alongside his best mate after a luxury car they borrowed flew off a highway at high speed has shared a heartbreaking tribute to her partner on Facebook.
Carla Rainone posted a picture of her boyfriend Jason Gilham, 27, the day after his death, accompanied with the caption: ‘Please come back to me, I love you’.
Gilham drowned alongside his mate when the Mercedes wagon the pair were in veered off Melbourne’s Princes Highway in Altona North on Saturday night around 8.45pm.
Daily Mail Australia understands the driver was Bradley Dobney, also aged 27, as identified by 7 News Melbourne.
‘Please come back to me. I love you.’ reads the heartbreaking post from Gilham’s partner Carla Rainone
Jason Gilham (right) with his girlfriend Carla Rainone
Speed is believed to have been a significant factor in the tragedy.
The Mercedes wagon, lent to Dobney by his boss, was travelling towards Geelong when it suddenly veered off the road.
It is understood the car then crashed through a barrier, careered down a hill and flipped before it plunged into the swamp below.
The Herald Sun reported the deceased men frantically attempted to kick their way out to safety, only to find the sunroof stuck.
Next they tried to force their way out of the hatch of the car but were unable to open it in their final moments.
A report is being prepared for the coroner.
Close mates Bradley Dobney and Jason Gilham (pictured left) both drowned on Saturday night after their car flew off a highway and landed in a swamp
Lifelong friends Bradley Dobney (pictured left) and Jason Gilham both tragically drowned on Saturday night in Melbourne
Friends of Jason Gilham and Bradley Dobney posted tributes on Facebook to remember the two men
The tragic passing of Jason Gilham and Bradley Dobney has left their mates in disbelief
This Facebook user described the men as ‘two of the genuinely nicest guys ever’
This man was close friends with both men and described the pair as ‘absolute ripper mates’