The Sydney family of a Melbourne mother-of-four who drowned after she was swept off the rocks have fought tooth-and-nail to enter Victoria for her funeral amid Covid-19 travel restrictions. Aida Hamed was among four family members who were wiped off rocks at Bushrangers Bay near Cape Schanck on Victoria s Mornington Peninsula at 3.30pm on Wednesday.
Two men nearby jumped into the water to assist but Ms Hamed, a 45-year-old Australia Post worker from Lalor in Melbourne s north, could not be saved.
Ms Hamed s son Daniel Hamed and his partner Alisar Najem, both 25, were worried they were about to be dealt another cruel blow in the wake of her death.
A single mother-of-four who drowned after she was swept off the rocks called her brother s wife to say the beach was most amazing beautiful place she had seen before her tragic death. Aida Hamed was among four family members who were wiped off rocks at Bushrangers Bay near Cape Schanck on Victoria s Mornington Peninsula at 3.30pm on Wednesday.
Two men nearby jumped into the water to assist but Ms Hamed, a 45-year-old Australia Post worker from Lalor in Melbourne s north, could not be saved.
Ms Hamed s brother Nizar Ibrahim said his sister loved the outdoors and the beach.
Mother Aida Hamed, 45, (pictured) drowned after being wiped off rocks at Bushrangers Bay near Cape Schanck on Victoria s Mornington Peninsula at 3:30pm on Wednesday
Post office worker Aida Hamed has been identified as the Bushrangers Bay drowning victim, after three people died in separate water tragedies on Wednesday.
With 38 drownings since July 1, the past six-month period has smashed annual drowning records, surpassing any other 12-month total in records going back to 2000, according to Life Saving Victoria. There were 34 drownings in the 12 months to June 30, 2020.
The drownings sparked a plea from the Premier and warnings from Life Saving Victoria that the long lockdown could mean people are more at risk because they are less fit and children had missed out on swimming lessons. We just ask people to to really be mindful of this, and we again thank all of those who work so hard to keep our beaches safe, but it s got to be a partnership, Mr Andrews said.
Three people have died in separate tragedies on Victorian beaches, and five others were taken to hospital after the water rescues on Wednesday afternoon.