Four family members tragically died in a vain attempt to save their 13-year-old relative from drowning in a lake.
Rabia Karakaya was seen struggling in the water after deciding to swim while her family had a picnic nearby on August 8.
Her older siblings, Edanur Karakaya, 20, and Yasin Karakaya, 18, were the first to enter the water in an effort to help.
Rabia’s sister-in-law, Fatma Hediye Karakaya, 22, and relative Eylul Tekin, 15, then followed to help. All four family members, along with Rabia, tragically drowned.
Heartbreaking pictures have also emerged showing rescuers desperately trying to save the family, reports the Mirror.
Community head Ali Rza Tekin stated: “Rabia went into the water and then her companions entered one by one to save her.
“When we got there, we saw their lifeless bodies. Fatma remained in the lake, but we were able to pull her out at night with the help of a diving team.”
They continued: “We took their bodies to Mus State Hospital and then buried them in our village cemetery.”
The incident occurred at the Alpaslan-1 Dam in the eastern Turkish province of Mus on August 8. Rescuers initially recovered the bodies of Rabia, Edanur, Yasin and Eylul.
It took more time to locate Fatma, who had been married for just one year and was heavily pregnant.
Divers eventually discovered the young woman’s body just before they were about to suspend operations for the night.
The bodies of the victims were taken to a local morgue for post-mortem examinations before being handed over to their family for burial.
Rabia, Edanur, and Yasin were buried alongside their mother who tragically died in 2016.
The Murat River is one of Turkey’s main waterways and despite it being a popular spot for swimmers, authorities frequently issue safety warnings.
The river’s strong currents and hidden dangers can make swimming perilous.
Particularly in Turkey, rivers can undergo seasonal changes, with snowmelt and heavy rainfall causing high water levels.
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