Two men who drowned in a NSW river had stepped into “shallow water” before being swept away in what friends have called an “unthinkable tragedy”.
Sachin Khillan and Sahil Batra died at John Locke Place in Gleniffer, near Bellingen on the mid-north coast, on Sunday evening.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise $200,000 to repatriate their bodies to India and provide financial support to their elderly fathers.
The fundraiser had raised more than $125,000 by Thursday morning.
Tragic details of the double drowning were shared by organisers of the appeal.
“They were being responsible and cautious, stepping only into shallow water,” said Sunita Kalkal.
“In an unforeseeable moment, a strong current surged and swept them away.
“What should have been an innocent moment turned into an unthinkable tragedy.”
Sahil leaves behind his wife, who is seven months pregnant.
Ms Kalkal said both men’s fathers were suffering from critical medical conditions and were unable to shoulder the financial burden following the deaths.
“We humbly seek the support of our Australian and Indian community and well-wishers to help repatriate Sachin and Sahil’s bodies to India, cover funeral and repatriation expenses and support the grieving families during this heart-breaking time.”
She thanked the community “from the bottom of our hearts for the incredible love and support”.
The fundraising target was increased from $100,000 to $200,000 so additional funds could be provided to the men’s parents, who “must now live with this pain for the rest of their lives”.
“Your kindness will help them survive this unimaginable grief and know they are not alone.”
Both families said they had been overwhelmed by donations to help cover the cost of repatriating the bodies of both men to India.
The fundraising page received more than $100,000 in donations within 24 hours.
“That’s the beauty of this country right? It’s not just people with Indian backgrounds, Australians have been really supportive,” Mr Sinbu said.
“They’re just coming non-stop, that’s the reason I love and respect this country.”
Tributes have poured in for the two men, with friends and family describing them as devoted, careful and deeply loved.
“They were looking after their families back in India, both of their fathers had heart issues,” Mr Sinbu said.
“They were two bodies, one soul.”
Mr Khillan’s sister, Anuradha Khillan, said her brother was a much-loved carpentry teacher at the Nova Institute of Technology in Sydney.
“I’ve had so many of his students come to the house,” she said.
“They’re just crying, they don’t have any words to say.
“He was a gem, no-one can replace him.”
Ms Khillan said both men were careful by nature and had basic swimming skills.
“They wanted to live, they wanted to enjoy their life,” she said.
“They knew some basic skills with swimming, otherwise they wouldn’t have gone into the water.
“Sahil had such a big happiness coming in his life, they were waiting for the baby.”
The ABC reported the incident occurred about 6.45pm on Sunday.
Emergency services were called following reports that three men, all believed to be in their 30s, were struggling shortly after entering the river.
Two men were pulled from the water but could not be revived and died at the scene, the ABC reported.
A 31-year-old pregnant woman was taken to hospital after being treated for shock.
Images: GoFundMe
