Baby girl drowns after ‘falling from parent’s yacht when she wriggled free from harness’ in Fiji
A BABY girl has tragically drowned after reportedly falling off her parents' yacht in Fiji.
Little Māhina Toki died on Friday after wriggling free from the harness she was strapped into on the deck and falling into the water.
Reports claim the tot had been tethered to the 32ft catamaran named Kalamari while she was watching a film outside.
Her parents Mark and Kiri, from Great Barrier Island in New Zealand, were cooking dinner at the time while docked in Musket Cove.
The 13-month-old, "who loved the water and life on the boat", is believed to have tumbled into the sea just before 5pm local time.
The panicked parents launched a desperate search for their daughter after discovering she had disappeared from the deck.
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Police in Fiji said Māhina was later found floating in the sea.
Despite desperate attempts to revive her, the tot sadly passed away at the scene.
Officials said the family had been docked at Musket Cove, on Fiji's western coast, since late July.
A fundraiser has been launched by a fellow cruiser to assist the family with funeral expenses and travel costs as they return to New Zealand.
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In a post on the donations page, Grace Palos said the baby girl was secured by a harness but had "worked free and found the water."
It read: "Māhina was a beautiful, happy, smiling child who loved the water and life on the boat.
"Her mother, Kiri, said she had eyes that looked into your soul from the day she was born. She was 13 months old yesterday."
Grace said that grief-stricken Mark and Kiri were now doing their best to "pick up their lives" as they return home without their daughter.
"To the beloved Māhina, may you forever live in peace, splashing with joy somewhere in the sea," the post added.
Nearly £10,000 has already been raised to assist the heartbroken parents.
Authorities in Fiji are investigating the incident.
A spokesman for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was aware of the tragedy and was providing consular assistance.
The resort manager of Musket Cove, Joe Mar, said locals and fellow cruisers raced to help the family as they found Māhina's lifeless body.
An off-duty paramedic, doctor, two nurses and a midwife are reported to have tried to revive the baby girl.
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He explained: "The family rushed into shore to seek help and a lot of people rushed to their aid, but unfortunately couldn’t revive her."
Joe told the New Zealand Herald the parents have now moved inland to Denarau, where they are being supported by police.
