Warning: This article contains the name and image of an Indigenous person who has died.
Tributes are flowing for an 11-year-old boy and promising junior footballer who died after jumping into a river in northern Victoria.
The 11-year-old went missing in northern Victoria after jumping into a river. GoFundMe
Dre Cooper was remembered by his local football club as a promising young athlete. Rumbalara Football Netball Club
The body of 11-year-old Dre Cooper was recovered on Tuesday after he failed to return from the Broken River near Shepparton, about 180 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, about 2.45pm the day before.
An investigation is now under way into his death however it is not being treated as suspicious.
Following the tragic discovery, a GoFundMe campaign launched to support Dre’s family has raised more than $40,000.
Fundraiser organiser Dwayne Mansfield said that while the family had not asked for financial help, the campaign offered an opportunity for the community to rally around them.
“There are times in life when words simply aren’t enough, and when a family is going through a difficult time, knowing that people care, are thinking of them and are standing beside them can mean more than words could ever express,” Mansfield said.
“Let’s show them that they have a community behind them, people who care deeply and who want to help in whatever way they can.”
Rumbalara Football Netball Club also paid tribute to the young athlete, who had played 26 games for the local side.
“For a young fella, Dre certainly knew how to make an impact around the club and into everyone’s hearts,” the club said in a statement.
“With a little cheekiness and one of the most caring hearts, he was always there to support his family, friends and teammates. He brought so much to our club simply by being himself.”
The club said that Dre debuted in the under-14s squad at just 10 years old.
“He went on to become a premiership player in our club’s first-ever Under 12s season, playing a proud part in a special piece of Rumba history,” the club said.
“One of the standouts on the field, his talent, determination, and love for his teammates and the game of football shone through whenever he played.”
The club will hold a vigil on Friday to honour Dre and support his family.
‘Life is so cruel sometimes’
Yorta Yorta artist Neil Morris, who performs as DRMNGNOW, also paid tribute to the boy on social media following the “absolutely devastating” news.
“My big cuz Greg has tragically lost his dear beautiful son the nephew, Dre in tragic circumstances going for a swim in the River here in Shepp Monday afternoon, never to make his way back out of the water,” Morris wrote on Instagram.
“These are waters where we have all swum, fished, grew from kids to youth, to adults, holding these waters deep in journey, a part of us.
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“So sad that Dre’s experience come to this end in this chapter of his precious journey.
“May the yenbena be cloaking you in so much love neph. So so much love.”
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