How Did a Car Plunging Into a Dam Kill a Girl, 10, and Her Stepmother in Queensland?

Quick answer: Arliyah James, 10, and her stepmother Lisa, 36, died after their car left the road and plunged into a dam at Tinana South on Queensland's Fraser Coast, Australia, on the afternoon of 8 October 2026.

Key facts

• What: Car veered off the road, crashed through a fence and plunged into a dam
• Where: Springvale Road, Tinana South, Fraser Coast, Queensland, Australia
• When: Thursday afternoon, 8 October 2026
• Reported toll: 2 dead
• Vehicle: Blue Subaru Tribeca
• Emergency number: 000 (Australia)
• Status: developing — figures may change

What happened

• On Thursday afternoon, 8 October 2026, a blue Subaru Tribeca veered off Springvale Road in Tinana South, crashed through a fence and plunged into a dam.
• Lisa, 36, and her 10-year-old stepdaughter Arliyah were on their way towards Maryborough to pick up other children from school.
• Police, fire crews and first responders rushed to the rural scene.
• Both were found inside the submerged car and declared dead at the scene.

Rescue attempt

• A local farmer discovered the overturned car in the dam and dived into the water to try to reach them.
• Maryborough Patrol Group Inspector Paul Algie described the deaths as a "horrible tragedy" and praised the farmer's bravery.

Tributes

• Arliyah's mother, Sarah Gorman, paid tribute to her daughter, describing her as her "wild child" who kept her on her toes.
• Relatives remembered Arliyah as full of life, with a beautiful big smile and full of energy.
• Floral tributes have been placed near the dam where the crash happened.

Investigation

• The Queensland Police Forensic Crash Unit has started an inquiry into the crash.
• Police appealed for witnesses and asked anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage from the area to come forward.

Sources

• Manchester Evening News