‘Our life, our world, our everything...’

HERMITAGE: Mum pays tribute to ‘little angel’ after river tragedy

Tributes have been paid to a seven-year-old Dundee girl who died in a Perthshire river accident.

Freya Skene and her mother, Brooke Reid, 26, got into difficulty at the Hermitage near Dunkeld on Monday.

They were pulled from the River Braan by rescuers and rushed to Ninewells Hospital where the youngster was pronounced dead a short time later.

Ms Reid paid tribute to her daughter last night, calling her “my little guardian angel”.

“We had to say goodbye to our best friend, our life, our world, our everything,” she said.

“My heart and everyone else’s within the families are broken.

“I’ll miss her so much and I don’t know how life will be without her.”

A crowdfunding page set up for Freya’s funeral had raised £13,000 within three hours of its creation.

It asked for donations towards a horse and carriage for the “bright glittery princess who loved everything fabulous”.

The mother of a seven-year-old girl who died at a Tayside beauty spot has paid tribute to her “little guardian angel”.

Brooke Reid and her daughter Freya Skene, from Dundee, got into difficulty in the River Braan at the Hermitage near Dunkeld on Monday.

They were helped by rescue teams and rushed to Ninewells Hospital where the youngster was pronounced dead a short time later.

Ms Reid, 26, honoured her daughter on Facebook last night, saying “I don’t know how life will be without her”.

“Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our best friend, our life, our world, our everything,” she said.

“My heart and everyone else’s within the families are broken. As well as being a cheeky little devil, sometimes I wondered who was the mum.

“I’ll miss her so much and I don’t know how life will be without her but together as a family we are going to do everything we can to make sure she is always remembered.

“Freya Ava Skene we will always love you and we were so proud to have you in our life for that short time.

“You are my little guardian angel and now you truly are.”

Ms Reid described the tragic accident and how rescue teams tried to save them both.

“Everyone tried their best and I couldn’t be any more grateful for the emergency teams all out trying to save us,” she said.

“Me and Freya were in a freak accident that had us pulled down multiple waterfalls.

“We were playing in the fairy pools and next minute out of nowhere a current hit us both and swept us.

“I tried my very best to hold on and grab every rock in the passing but before I knew it we had lost each other.

“I was lucky to survive but sadly our poor baby girl passed away. I believe this was instant for her” she continued.

“What I know is I survived for a reason and we are all going to make her so proud. I know she left a print on everyone’s heart because she was so kind, caring, bubbly and determined in life.”

Freya’s father Robert Skene also posted on Facebook, saying: “The amount of support from everyone has been amazing and we can’t thank you enough.

“Until we meet again Freya Skene, love you always and forever my baby.”

Tributes were also paid on a crowdfunding page for Freya’s funeral, which had soared to £13,000 within three hours last night.

It asked for donations towards a horse and carriage for the “bright glittery princess who loved everything fabulous”.

“We are raising money to give Miss Freya Ava Skene the best send off that she deserves,” it read.

“We want to make sure she gets a beautiful princess horse and carriage that she deserves.

“Freya wouldn’t want everyone turning up in black at her funeral. She would want everyone covered in glitter, bright colours, fairy wings and crowns.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were called around 6.50pm on Monday July 6, to a report of two people in the water at Ossian’s Cave, the Hermitage, Dunkeld.

“A seven-year-old girl and a 26-yearold woman were taken by the Scottish Ambulance Service to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. Sadly the child was pronounced dead a short time later. The woman was treated for non-life threatening injuries and later released.

“Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what happened but the death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.

“Officers are appealing for witnesses and anyone who has any information and has not already spoken to them is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 3124 of Monday July 6 2020.”

Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who represents the Perthshire North area where the accident happened, said: “This is desperately sad news, and my thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim.

“I hope that the outpouring of sympathy from all those across Perthshire can offer some form of solace during this unimaginably difficult time.”

My heart and everyone else’s within the families are broken. I don’t know how life will be without her

Freya Skene from Dundee who was with her mum Brooke when they got into difficulties in the River Braan.

Main picture: Steve Brown. The stretch of river near Ossian’s Cave, top; seven-year-old Freya Skene who died.