After two men drowned on the NSW Mid North Coast coast, grief is still sitting heavily over the Indian Australian community — even as an extraordinary wave of support has poured in for families, friends and colleagues.
Sahil Batra, 32, and Sachin Khillan, 31, died on 25 January while holidaying with friends at Gleniffer, west of Coffs Harbour. Family members later confirmed the group had travelled from Sydney for a getaway and were staying at an accommodation with private access to the Never Never River.
Batra was working as an IT professional in Sydney, and had become a permanent resident of Australia in December. His wife was expecting a child.
Khillan's colleagues in the education industry have praised him as a "pure soul", as his students have expressed shock and sadness.
According to Batra's brother-in-law, Sumit Sindhu, who spoke to the ABC, the group had gone to the river to escape the heat, walking along the shallow riverbed in jeans and T-shirts.
Moments later, the two men slipped into a deep waterhole.
Despite rescue attempts by friends and neighbours, both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
The tragedy comes amid renewed warnings about the risks posed by Australia's waterways. The National Drowning Report 2025, released by Royal Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving Australia, recorded 357 drowning deaths in the 12 months from August 2025 — a 27 per cent increase on the 10-year average.
Where country of birth was known, 33 per cent of those who drowned were born overseas, consistent with long-term trends.
In the days since the drowning, the families have been supported by a broad community response, as they begin to grapple with the losses.
'To grieve in peace'
A community fundraiser was launched within days of the tragedy to help cover immediate living costs, travel expenses and the repatriation of both men's bodies to India, where their families are preparing to receive them.
The fundraising effort was organised by family friend, Sunita Kalkal, who said the idea emerged almost immediately as the scale of the financial burden became clear.
"After hearing this news, we were in shock. The family was in shock," Kalkal told SBS Hindi.
"Sahil's sister, who lived next door, she flew away to Sydney straight away. When we were booking the flights and looking at the prices, it was kind of shocking and we thought, 'Wow, how they are going to afford all these expenses coming ahead?'" she said.
"Looking at the situation, and because I know the family personally and [the] boys are newly migrated to Australia, I spoke to the family and a few other community members and then we decide that it'll help them to grieve in peace rather than thinking about who will pay the bills or where they are going to have groceries or how they will take the bodies home," she said.
Both men were born in India and arrived in Australia between 2019 and 2022 to work.
Donations surged almost immediately. Kalkal said about $50,000 was raised within hours, passing $100,000 within a day and continuing to climb beyond $155,000 as messages poured in from across the country.
"I'll say, I never think that community will stand up like this and they will make it happen so quickly," she said.
"Very kind messages from all people around."
Kalkal said the families had been overwhelmed by the response.
"They just say, thank you, what you guys are doing for us. Please say thank you to everyone who is helping out," she said.
'We need to be together'
As the fundraiser gains pace, the impact of the deaths is being felt acutely in the men's workplaces, where colleagues are struggling to process the sudden losses.
Sachin Khillan's manager at the Nova Institute of Technology, where he worked as a carpentry teacher, described the shock that rippled through staff when they learned of the tragedy.
She recounted attempting to contact him on the morning of 25 January and only discovering the news through other colleagues and media reports.
"Through the other trainer and other people I got to know that this tragedy happened. In first instant I did not accept, is it for real or no?" Preeti Barot told SBS Hindi.
She spoke warmly of Khillan's dedication and character, calling him a "pure soul … humble and genuine … very kind, and devoted towards his work".
Barot said the organisation has been supporting the family in every way possible, including assisting with repatriation and providing staff and student support.
"We are very much there for him in any way," she said.
Reflecting on the wider community, she added: "We need to be together and we need to help the family in any way … only way we can help them is to support … so that both the boys' bodies can reach their family or loved ones."
— This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Hindi.
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.
