Teen who drowned after becoming stuck under a pontoon at a popular Perth lake is mourned by loved ones

Friends and loved ones are mourning a former Air Force cadet who drowned after becoming stuck underneath a pontoon on a popular lake. 

Tyler Jury, 17, was paddling on a inflatable boat with his twin brother Brooklyn at Lake Leschenaultia, in Chidlow in the Perth Hills district, when he became trapped under the floating pontoon at about 2pm on Tuesday. 

Brooklyn quickly raised the alarm with swimmers searching the murky waters for an hour before the teenager was finally located. 

Emergency services rushed to the scene under a priority one code but despite the best efforts of paramedics Tyler couldn’t be saved. 

The lake reopened on Friday after an investigation was launched. 

Tyler’s family, who live in Alexander Heights in the city’s north, thanked those who came to the aid of the ‘best brother, best son and best grandson’. 

‘He was just everything to everyone. He meant so much. He was just a good person,’ the family said in a statement. 

Tyler’s grieving sister Maddison also expressed her heartbreak on social media. 

‘Thank you for all the messages it’s just so hard losing a family member,’ she wrote. 

‘I am just so broken. I love you so much Tyler.’

Tyler’s friends also shared fond memories of their best mate, who was due to graduate high school this year at Joseph Banks Secondary College. 

‘[There was] never a dull moment with him… he was always cheering us up, making sure we were all happy,’ Rhys MacDonald said. 

Emerald McKelvie was among 20 bystanders who jumped into the water to try and locate the teen after hearing his brother’s screams for help.

‘We all just started taking turns and diving in… we actually made a circle to make sure [we could find him],’ the mum-of-two told The West Australian. 

‘We did everything but… (the) boy didn’t come back up.’

Dozens of family members and friends gathered at Scarborough Beach on Thursday evening for a sunset vigil to remember the teen. 

Tyler, who left the Air Force last year, marched on Anzac Day in Perth in 2024.

An ADF spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia support services are being provided to cadets in the 7 Wing following Tyler’s death. 

‘On behalf of Australian Air Force Cadets, we would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of former Air Force Cadet, LCDT Tyler Jury,’ they said in a statement.

WA Premier Roger Cook also expressed his condolences to Tyler’s family. 

‘I just want to express my thanks and appreciation to members of the local community, who worked tirelessly to try to rescue that young man, until emergency services arrived,’ he said on Wednesday. 

The Shire of Mundaring is working with relevant authorities to investigate the death and a report will be prepared for the coroner. 

Up to 80,000 people visit Lake Leschenaultia every year. 

It comes as a man in his 40s drowned while he and four others tried to rescue two children who got into trouble in the water at Native Dog Beach.

The group also began to struggle, with the man pulled to shore and taken to Bremer Bay Nursing Post, where he later died. 

WA Police said the others and the two children returned to shore safely. 

There have been 10 fatal drownings across WA in just over a month.