Lake Leschenaultia drowning: Tributes flow for Tyler Jury after his tragic death, aged 17

A 17-year-old boy who drowned at Lake Leschenaultia has been remembered by friends as a loving brother and son “who never failed to make anyone smile”. Tyler Jury was swimming at the popular lake, in Chidlow, on Tuesday afternoon when he became trapped underneath a pontoon before disappearing into the water. Witnesses described how Tyler’s twin brother was desperately calling for help, prompting bystanders to dive in to find him. Members of the public spent an hour desperately swimming into the depths before the teenager was found and pulled to shore. Despite the efforts of first-responders, he could not be saved. Dozens of Tyler’s friends have paid tribute following his death, including several of his mates from the Australian Air Force Cadets. The 17-year-old left the cadets late last year and it is believed he was preparing to finish Year 12 at a school in Perth’s northern suburbs. Friend Tom Buckland said Tyler was thinking about joining the Australian Defence Force after school. “He was always funny and could always make people laugh,” Mr Buckland told The West Australian. “It’s just been a lot of shock really.” The West photographed Tyler proudly marching through Perth on Anzac Day last year with several other cadets. One of his friends from cadets described Tyler as “the life of the party”. “He never failed to make anyone smile or laugh and just have a good time,” she said. “He connected with so many different people through his humour, me included. “I can’t think how everyone else has been affected by this. “Miss you man.” Another friend, who knew Tyler through the Cadets, said his mates “all missed him”. “I didn’t get much sleep, I kind of cried all night,” he said. “We all miss him, but he will never be forgotten.” It is understood Tyler leaves behind a twin brother, who was at the lake when he disappeared into the water and pleaded for help to find him. He also has a younger sister. “I love you so much Tyler, I actually can’t deal with this. I’ve gone physically numb,” his sister wrote on social media. “Forever 17.” On Facebook, several people also expressed their grief. “I can’t believe this happened he didn’t deserve this. I still need you 💔💔🕊️,” one post read. Bakers Hill resident Carol Hobbs laid a bouquet of flowers at the entrance of the lake on Wednesday afternoon. Ms Hobbs said she did not know Tyler and his family, but said the tragedy hit close to home because she often visited Lake Leschenaultia with her 17 and 21-year-old daughters. “The thought of coming out to have a fun day with your family and your teens ... and to leave without one (of your kids) is just too awful to even contemplate,” she said. “I don’t know the family but I thought (bringing down some flowers) is the only thing I can do ... I just felt compelled. “I’m just really sad thinking of the family and everything they must be going through, I wish there was something I could do.” The lake remained closed on Wednesday afternoon. Witness Emerald Mckelvie on Tuesday said she and about 20 other volunteers searched the lake for up to an hour after Tyler’s brother raised the alarm. “We all just started taking turns and diving in ... we actually made a circle to make sure (we could find him),” she said. “And we made sure we counted everyone’s head, so if two people were going under water we knew that two people needed to come back up ... it was really good team work. “I was yelling to get paddle boards because at least you can stand up on paddle boards, but even then, the water was still too dark to see.” Ms Mckelvie described the water around the pontoon as “very deep”. Murky waters also hindered search efforts. “I made sure to dive off the pontoon so I had extra air ... I drove straight down and I couldn’t even touch the bottom and I went a good 5m down to the point where I couldn’t see,” she said. Ms Mckelvie said a volunteer reached the teenager after about an hour. On Wednesday, Premier Roger Cook praised the “heroic” actions of the bystanders who rushed in to try and save Tyler. “Our hearts go out to all involved. I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to members of the local community who worked tirelessly to try and rescue that young man, until emergency services arrived,” he said. “It was a heroic effort by a number of members of the community and we really appreciate their efforts.” A report into his death will be prepared for the coroner. The Shire of Mundaring said it understood community concerns about the “heartbreaking incident” and confirmed it was working with relevant authorities investigating his death. Shire President Paige McNeil said everyone at the organisation shared the sadness at the loss of the teenager. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the young man’s family,” she said. “We also offer our gratitude to the many people who assisted during the emergency and who displayed extraordinary bravery in their rescue efforts.” “Understandably, Lake Leschenaultia will remain closed until further notice. Our Shire is assisting in an investigation that has been launched involving the relevant authorities. “We’ll provide updates and respond to enquiries when more information becomes available.” After a number of recent drownings, including the drowning death of a man at Native Dog beach in Bremer Bay, Mr Cook urged members of the public to stay safe in waters this summer. Police received a triple-0 call about 2pm on Tuesday following reports Tyler was in distress in the popular Chidlow lake. And just 10 minutes later, they were responding to an incident at Bremer Bay’s Native Dog Beach. A man, aged 43, became distressed after rushing into the ocean to save two children caught in a rip. He became unresponsive and was taken to Bremer Bay Nursing Post but could not be saved. The children and three other adults — who also managed to save the kids — made it back to shore safely, escaping without injury. “It’s summer, everyone loves to play, recreate in our great water playgrounds but please do so safely. It’s an amazing coastline ... but it’s also treacherous and you need to make sure you take care,” Mr Cook said. Police Minister Paul Papalia said the heroics of those involved in Bremer Bay and Lake Leschenaultia mirrored the response to the fatal seaplane crash off Rottnest last week. “People just jumped in regardless of the threat to themselves… and helped other people who were in need,” he said.