A primary school girl, 10-year-old Arliyah James, and her stepmother, 36-year-old Lisa, were identified as the two victims who died when their car plunged into a dam near Tinana South in Queensland. The incident occurred on Thursday evening after the vehicle veered off Springvale Road, crashed through a fence, and submerged in a nearby dam while en route to pick up other children from school. Despite efforts by Arliyah's father and a local farmer to rescue them, they were found deceased inside the car.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-10,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Emergency services responded to Springvale Road in Tinana South, south of Maryborough, around 5:30 pm on Thursday following a report that a blue Subaru Tribeca had driven into the water. A 36-year-old woman from the area and an 10-year-old girl, identified as Arliyah James and her stepmother Lisa, were found dead inside the submerged vehicle despite rescue attempts by a local farmer and her father. The car reportedly left the road before entering the dam and hit a fence prior to sinking. Police are investigating the circumstances leading up to the incident and have urged anyone with information or footage to contact them. Arliyah's mother, Sarah Gorman, paid tribute to her daughter as "beautiful blue-eyed, blonde-haired princess" whose life was filled with love and laughter.
Written for “Woman And Child Found Dead In Dam” on 2026-10-10,
grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.
A primary school girl and her stepmother have been identified as the two passengers found dead inside a car submerged in a dam on a rural Queensland property.
asserted
girl → identify → property
Emergency services were called to Springvale Road in Tinana South, south of Maryborough, just before 5.30pm on Thursday following reports a blue Subaru Tribeca had driven into the water.
Arliyah James, 10, and her stepmother, Lisa, 36, were found dead inside the vehicle despite her father and a local farmer's desperate attempts to save them.
The young girl's devastated mother, Sarah Gorman, has paid tribute to her 'beautiful blue-eyed, blonde-haired princess'.
asserted
mother → call → princess
Ms Gorman shared an emotional tribute to Arliyah on Friday, remembering her as their 'wild child' who filled the family's lives with love.
'The one who kept me on my toes and made all our hearts burst with love,' she told The Courier-Mail.
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she → share → Mail
'Love you all the way below the fishes and all the way up, up above with the clouds, where you now are, our lil angel.
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you → love → angel
'My heart will forever be missing its beat, my baby.
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heart → miss → beat
I love you so much.
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I → love → you
A devastated mother has paid tribute to her 10-year-old daughter Arliyah (pictured) after she and her stepmother were killed when their car plunged into a dam
Arliyah James, 10, and her stepmother, Lisa, 36 (pictured), died after their vehicle left the road and plunged into a dam on Springvale Road in Tinana South on Thursday
asserted
vehicle → pay → Thursday
Emergency services were called to the rural property just before 5.30pm on Thursday after reports that a vehicle had crashed into a dam
It is understood the pair were on their way to Maryborough to collect other children from school when the car veered off the road, smashed through a fence and plunged into a dam on a neighbouring property.
asserted
car → call → property
Arliyah's father, Steve James, reportedly began searching for them after the school contacted him to say the children had not been collected.
uncertain
children → begin → him
He discovered the vehicle upside down in the dam, prompting a nearby farmer to rush into the water in a desperate attempt to rescue his daughter and partner.
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vehicle → discover → daughter
Farmer Joel Hinschen, 45, said he had been working on his property when he discovered the car.
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he → say → car
'I got in the water and pulled them both out of the car,' he told ABC News on Friday.
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he → get → Friday
Mr Hinschen called Triple Zero before entering the neck-high water.
His father reportedly began performing CPR on Arliyah until firefighters arrived and took over.
uncertain
firefighters → call → Arliyah
Maryborough Patrol Group Inspector Paul Algie praised Mr Hinschen's bravery, describing him as a hero.
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Algie → praise → hero
'That property owner is a hero,' he said.
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he → say → ?
The pair were reportedly on their way to Maryborough to collect other children from school when their blue Subaru veered off the road, smashed through a fence and plunged into a dam
Queensland Police's Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash
'
uncertain
Unit → collect → crash
What he did was incredibly brave and incredibly traumatic, given that the lady's partner was right with him at the time,' Mr Algie said.
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Algie → give → time
Arliyah's relative, Summah Brakenridge, also paid tribute to the young girl, remembering her as full of life.
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relative → pay → life
'She was full of life, she was the most beautiful big smile, full of energy,' she said.
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she → say → energy
That will never be forgotten.
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That → forget → ?
'
Flowers have since been left near the dam in tribute to Arliyah and Lisa.
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Flowers → leave → Arliyah
Queensland Police's Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash, including whether speed or driver inattention may have contributed.
uncertain
speed → investigate → crash
Police have urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam or CCTV footage of the vehicle in the lead-up to the crash to come forward.
asserted
who → urge → crash
The Aporia
