Toddler who drowned in the Hawkesbury was from family on yacht trip around Australia
A little girl who found floating in the Hawkesbury river on Tuesday has been named as three-year-old Zeinobiyah Soetekouw.
Known affectionately as 'Zobbie' she was part of a family of 13 who were travelling around Australia on a yacht.
The toddler was found floating in the water off Dangar Island, near Brooklyn on Tuesday (9 July) afternoon.
Paramedics rushed to the scene to treat the child, who was then airlifted to Westmead Hospital, Sydney, in critical condition.
She was pronounced dead on arrival.
It's now emerged that Zobbie was part of a self-titled 'hippy' family who were documenting their trip around on Australia on their Facebook page.
Three years ago her parents Beccie and Steve left Tasmania and set sail on their 33-year-old 13m yacht 'Sumbawa' where they lived, played and travelled together.
As well as Zobbie, the couple had Natasha, 15, Blade, 14, Ryan, 12, Nakita, 11, Alec, 10, Hunter, 8, Amlayah, 7, Yasha, 5, Azanyah, 4, and one-year-old Shakirah.
On Tuesday the boat was moored at the Hawkesbury River when the toddler was found dead in the water about 100m away. It's alleged she'd been floating there for around 20 minutes.
Her mum Beccie was said to be ashore when Zobbie went missing.
Paramedics arrived at the scene and she was airlifted to hospital, but she later died.
In a post on the family's blog, Our Round the World Adventure, the little girl is described as 'Miss independent'.
'She won’t be helped when she can do it herself. #socapable,' the blog says about her.
An investigation has been launched and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.
