Hundreds of heartbroken members of the Hobart community have gathered at Franklin Square to remember and pay tribute to Deepinderjeet ‘Deep’ Singh.
Singh, 27, tragically drowned on the Hobart Waterfront on Monday after allegedly being pushed into the water by a 17-year-old boy in what is believed to have been an attempted mugging.
Speaking at the memorial on Saturday, a friend who had spent the last year living with Singh told the crowd it was “still hard to believe” he was gone.
“There’s all these things, his car, still at home and you just think ‘he’s just out here and he’s going to be home at any moment’,” he said.
“But time has already passed … and I know he’s not coming back.”
Aaron Brazendale, Singh’s employer and friend, emotionally thanked the first responders and the people who jumped into the Derwent in an attempt to save Singh.
“Their heroics are just out of this world,” Brazendale said.
“[Deep] certainly was a very, very valued member of our team. He touched every single member of our team, from the first day that we met him. You could just tell, as soon as he walked through the door, that his attitude, his character was just simply special.”
He said Singh always took great pride in his appearance and his work.
“He was always well groomed. His hair was always on point,” Brazendale said with a smile.
“Deep’s legacy is always going to live on with us and we’ll never forget him in our work community.”
Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds acknowledged the “senseless and selfish act” that had rocked the city, saying it was typically a peaceful place.
“It is so incredibly sad to lose such a young life and someone who was so full of adventure and spirit,” she said.
Dr. Navpreet Kaur from the Honorary Consul of India in Tasmania said his family were grieving the loss of their son and brother.
“As a community, we are sad, we are shaken, we are numb and we are broken. The sudden passing of our young community member has actually shattered our hearts,” Kaur said.
“It’s not easy, our heart is full of pain and we all are wounded.”
