A teenage boy and a 24-year-old woman were celebrating Australia Day on a Queensland property among a crowd of 50 others when they mysteriously drowned.
Kirsty Cini, 24, vanished after she was seen descending on a waterslide on the edge of a dam in rural Julatten, about 85km north-west of Cairns.
During a desperate search for the missing woman, the body of a second victim, 15-year-old Zack Jenkins, was tragically found.
The teen, from Mossman in Queensland, was last seen 20 minutes prior to the disappearance of Ms Cini.
The body of the Brisbane woman was discovered soon after.
The bodies of Kirsty Cini and 15-year-old Zack Jenkins (pictured) were pulled from a dam in rural Julatten, about 85 kilometres north-west of Cairns, on Friday
During a desperate search for Ms Cini (pictured), from Queenlsland’s southeast, who disappeared after descending a slide, the body of Zack was found
A police investigation into the mysterious double-drowning has been launched, with detectives looking at whether the dam slide or alcohol played a role in the deaths.
Friends and family took to social media to express their grief following the tragedy on Friday afternoon.
A friend of the teenager, Oscar, wrote: ‘Today mate, you have changed my life. At such a young age, you did not deserve to die.’
Ms Cini’s brother, Adam, dedicated a heartfelt tribute to his sister: ‘Today is the worst day of my life, to find out that I will never see my beautiful sister again.’
‘I have experienced so much pain in my life but nothing knocks me down like this, I am so lost now. RIP Kirsty Cini. I’ll love you always.’
Police were called to the property shortly after 4pm but tragically both victims died at the scene
A friend of Zack (pictured) wrote, ‘Today mate, you have changed my life. At such a young age, you did not deserve to die’
Emergency crews were called to the property but neither victims were able to be resuscitated
Stepfather Bruce Baker described Ms Cini (pictured) as ‘outgoing and very active and very happy 99 per cent of the time’
Ms Cini’s stepfather Bruce Baker described Ms Cini as ‘outgoing and very active and very happy 99 per cent of the time’.
‘[We are] just coming to terms with it. I hope we get there,’ he told the ABC.
Mr Baker said Ms Cini’s mother was too shattered to publicly speak, revealing: ‘She’s her only daughter.’
Ms Cini took to social media the day beforehand to wish her mother a happy birthday.
Police were called to the property just after 4pm and were told the boy was deceased when he was pulled from the water.
Police and rescue crews were called to the property just after 4pm and were told the boy was deceased when he was pulled from the water
Ms Cini (pictured left) took to social media a day before to wish her mother a happy birthday
The body of the woman was found in the water soon after by an attending officer.
Despite the efforts of emergency service workers, both were unable to be revived.
A waterslide is believed to have been set up by the water’s edge, with reports suggesting the woman was attempting to rescue the teenager.
‘It’s a typical Australia Day event where everyone is enjoying themselves,’ Queensland Police Service spokesman Duane Amos told Sunrise .
‘Unfortunately, there is alcohol that’s mixed with water and we have the tragic deaths of a 23-year-old and 15-year-old.’
The double tragedy shocked partygoers and left the small tight-knit community in grief
The pair are not related and police are now investigating whether alcohol was involved in the deaths