An eight-year-old boy has drowned in regional Victoria.
Emergency services were called to a property in Kialla, near Shepparton, just before 7pm on Sunday after a boy was found unresponsive in a swimming pool.
The boy died at the scene, despite paramedics’ best efforts to revive him.
It’s understood that the boy was a local.Â
Frantic attempts by emergency responders to locate a defibrillator at a nearby fast food outlet were unsuccessful, the Herald Sun reported.
Police will prepare a report for the coroner.Â
There were 357 drownings across Australia in 2024-25, according to the National Drowning report.
Authorities said that the latest tragedy is ‘a sad and timely reminder’ for parents to keep a vigilant eye on their children when around water.
 An eight-year-old boy drowned in a backyard swimming pool in Kialla on Sunday nightÂ
The tragedy occurred 280km north of Melbourne
‘Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this tragic incident in Kialla,’ a Life Saving Victoria spokesperson said.
‘Children remain one of the highest risk groups for drowning with home pools, bathtubs and dams leading locations for these incidents.
‘We encourage parents and caregivers to actively supervise children at all times when around water, enrol your child in swimming and water safety lessons, learn CPR so you can assist in an emergency, and restrict children’s access to pools and other water bodies by ensuring there are sufficient barriers in place.’
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Horror as 8-year-old boy is found dead in a swimming pool in Victoria