Warning this article contains disturbing contents.
A 13-month-old girl has died after she broke free from a tether on a boat and drowned.
Mahina Toki was on a yacht with her parents Mark and Kiri that was docked at Musket Cove in Fiji when the accident happened on Friday.
According to a Givealittle page set up to help the grieving parents, the young girl was tethered to the boat and broke free. After a frantic search she was found dead in the water a short time later.
Mahina is described as being a beautiful, happy child and her mother said "she had eyes that looked into your soul from the day she was born."
A Fiji police spokesperson told the NZ Herald Mahina was strapped into a harness on deck watching a movie while her parents cooked.
When they went back to the deck they couldn't find her and a short while later found her floating in the sea.
The family had sailed to Fiji in their yacht from Great Barrier Island where they live.
The Givealittle page was set up by a family friend who is asking for help to cover the cost of flights and the funeral for the family.
"We are reaching out to you today with heavy hearts and pleas for support. Yesterday, tragedy struck and we lost beautiful Mahina, a 13-month-old who passed away in a fatal accident at Musket Cove," the page says.
"Mahina was a beautiful, happy, smiling child who loved the water and life on the boat. Her mother, Kiri said she had eyes that looked into your soul from the day she was born. She was 13 months old yesterday.
"Mahina’s parents, Mark and Kiri, are in the process of picking up their lives and traveling back to their home of Great Barrier Island, New Zealand.
"The cruisers of Musket Cove are humbly asking for your assistance in raising funds for the family to help cover the cost of flights back home, funeral expenses and anything else Mark & Kiri need as they move forward.
"To anyone reading this who is moved and wants to help, anything and everything helps show our support. We encourage you to share his story with your friends, colleagues, and social networks to help raise awareness and garner additional support. The cruising community in Fiji, and Mark and Kiri thank you from the depths of our hearts."
The post then ended with a tribute to the toddler.
"To the beloved Mahina, may you forever live in peace, splashing with joy somewhere in the sea."
