A mother is ‘destroyed’ after she desperately tried to pull her four kids from a burning shed, but only managed to save two.
Jasmine Beck, 26, ran into the shed at her family’s home on Officer Court in Corio, south-west of Melbourne, on Sunday morning, and frantically tried to pull them out from behind a burning couch.
She managed to grab six-year-old Mavis and five-year-old Isaac, but she couldn’t reach three-year-old Saige and 18-month-old Ashlynn. Their bodies were removed from the wreckage later on Sunday.
The two older siblings were raced to the Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital in a critical condition, accompanied by their father Kane McGregor. They are fighting for life.
The children’s aunt, Sarah Guardiano, said Ms Beck ‘did her very best’ to get them out of the shed as quickly as possible.
Jasmine Beck is pictured with her four kids: Mavis, six, Isaac, five, Saige, three, and Ashlynn, 18 months
Mavis and Isaac (left and right) suffered critical burns and are in hospital. Ashlynn and Saige (second left and second right) lost their lives
Pictured: The shed where two kids, Ashlynn and Saige, died on Sunday morning
‘Pulling all those babies out, like you can imagine, you know, having to call the fire brigade having to put out a fire having to pull out your children,’ she told The Age newspaper outside the property on Monday.
‘She did the best she could to get them all out as quickly as she did.’
Ms Guardiano’s partner Anthony McGregor said Ms Beck is distraught. ‘She’s destroyed. She’s not handling herself. She’s trying to be the best mum she can be right now and be there to support her children who are suffering,’ he said.
Neighbours told the publication the siblings were usually seen riding bikes around the cul-de-sac.
Police Inspector Emma Bartel said on Sunday that neighbours tried to rescue the children before emergency services arrived.
Officers have spoken with Ms Beck but Inspector Bartel said she was not in a position to provide further details.
An investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire, but it is not being treated as suspicious.
Members of the community left tributes for the family on Monday (pictured)
Pictured: Neighbours left tributes and toys for the surviving children out the front of the house
One card out the front of the house read: ‘Our hearts and thoughts are with you at this horrible time’
A family friend launched a GoFundMe page to help support the family.
‘This family will never be the same without these children in their lives,’ the fundraiser read.
‘I’m hoping to help this family ease the financial cost of laying those beautiful babies to rest as this is such an unimaginable situation for any parent to go through.’
On Sunday night, a loved one wrote a tribute to Saige and Ashlynn on Facebook.
‘I hate life sometimes,’ he wrote.
‘With two little one’s life’s tragically taken today. Rip Saige & Ashlynn may you both be lying in gods arms resting.’
‘Two in hospital in surgery fighting for there little lives so can everyone please send theses little fighters a prayer and wish them well and if there is a god please help them.’
Inspector Bartel said investigators ‘owed’ it to the family to uncover what sparked the blaze.
‘It is unfortunately the worst-case scenario of what we can expect with an incident like this,’ she said.
‘We have spoken to a family and we have spoken to neighbours. We are trying to piece together the events of what has taken place.’
‘We can only do our best to support the family and do our best to provide them with some answers.’
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Pictured: A pram, toys, bags and a trampoline could be seen strewn around the the property