Mahina Toki, 13 months old, drowned after falling from her family's yacht in Fiji. Her parents Mark and Kiri were unable to revive her. Photo / Givealittle
Mahina Toki, 13 months old, drowned after falling from her family's yacht in Fiji. Her parents Mark and Kiri were unable to revive her. Photo / Givealittle
A 13-month-old toddler from Great Barrier Island has died despite multiple efforts to revive her after falling from her family’s boat in Fiji.
The child, who has been named as Māhina Toki, was believed to have been strapped into a harness on the boat’s deck and watching a movie whileher parents, Mark and Kiri, were cooking dinner in the galley, a Fiji Police spokeswoman said.
When they returned to the deck, they could not find Māhina and began searching for her. The toddler was found floating in the sea.
Extensive efforts were made to revive the toddler with a large number of boaties in the cove, including doctors and other medical staff, rushing to assist the family.
“By the time we could find her, it was too late,” a friend of the grieving family wrote on a Givealittle page set up to cover the cost of flights back home and funeral expenses.
Musket Cove Resort manager Joe Mar told the Herald there is a huge sense of shock across the island.
“The family rushed into shore to seek help and a lot of people rushed to their aid, but unfortunately couldn’t revive her,” he said.
He says the family have now moved inland to Denarau and are being supported by Fiji police.
“Māhina was a beautiful, happy, smiling child who loved the water and life on the boat,” reads the Givealittle page, which had raised over $21,000 on Sunday night.
“Her mother, Kiri, said she had eyes that looked into your soul from the [day] she was born.”
Her parents were now in the process of “picking up their lives” and heading back to New Zealand.
“To the beloved Māhina, may you forever live in peace, splashing with joy somewhere in the sea,” the family friend wrote.
Fijian Police are still investigating the incident.
Island Cruising New Zealand owner Viki Moore said a number of their participants rushed to the aid of the family and it turn spoke about how traumatising the incident was.
