Boy, 8, dies from ‘electrocution’ while on holiday with family at Fiji resort

Tributes pour in for ‘shy, tough little kid’

Eight-year-old Cairo Winitana was killed in a suspected electrocution at a Fiji resort (GoFundMe)

An eight-year-old boy died of suspected electrocution while on a holiday with his parents in Fiji last week.

Tributes started pouring in for Cairo Winitana, a “shy, tough little kid” who was found lying “motionless” near a flower garden at a hotel on Thursday.

His mother, Amber De Thierry, led tributes on social media, uploading a photo of him as a newborn child.

“I loved you my son from the moment I found out I was carrying you and will love you forever more my beautiful, beautiful blue eyes,” she wrote.

The eight-year-old lived in Sydney but was from New Zealand.

Cairo started playing junior rugby league in 2021 for the Milperra Colts in Sydney.

In a statement, the club said it was “deeply saddened” by the news.

“He was a shy, tough little kid who loved his footy,” the club said. “Once a Colt... always a Colt. Rest in love, Cairo.”

The boy was staying with his parents at the Club Wyndham Denarau Island Resort on the west coast of Fiji’s main island. He was taken to a hospital but doctors were unable to revive him.

“Initial information gathered is that the child was allegedly electrocuted however the post-mortem will have to confirm that,” the Fiji police said.

A full investigation into the incident has been launched. New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing assistance to the family.

“We are aware of the death of a child in Denarau and are providing assistance to the family,” a spokesperson said. “For privacy reasons, no further details will be provided.”

The Fiji resort also released a statement saying it would work with police on the investigation.

“We have expressed our heartfelt condolences to the family and our thoughts remain with them at this time,” a Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific spokesperson was quoted as saying to the Sydney Morning Herald.

“Our management team is currently conducting a thorough investigation into the incident and cooperating with the police and authorities.”

Meanwhile, the family members of the boy have set up a fundraiser for his parents to raise money to transport Cairo’s body from Fiji to Australia. “As you could all imagine this is a very devastating loss for our family,” Glenys Wana, a relative, wrote on a GoFundMe page for the family.

“We humbly invite you to offer support for both Amber and Clarke [his father] as they navigate through this unimaginable nightmare they are now forced to live with. We all know Clarke and Amber to be the most loving, kind-hearted and genuine people.”