"Robert Farquharson, 36, was on his way back to Winchelsea from Geelong with Jai, Tyler, 7, and Bailey, 2, strapped into their seats in his 1989 white Holden Berlina sedan.

Separated from his wife Cindy Gambino about a year, he had had the boys for Father's Day, taking them into Geelong for lunch at KFC.

What happened between lunch and 7.41 on Sunday night, when local CFA and SES volunteers — many acquainted with the Farquharson family — received a page alerting them to an accident with "people trapped", may take months to resolve.

Somehow the car carrying the boys of the Farquharson family left its lane of the Princes Highway, crossed the oncoming Geelong-bound lane, broke through a post-and-wire farm fence, and skipped "like a stone", according to acting Inspector Mick Talbot of the major collision investigation unit, before vanishing into eight metres of dark water.

Somehow Robert escaped. Somehow the boys released their seatbelts — even the tricky child restraint around young Bailey had been opened — but they could not get out.

"We don't know for sure, but our belief is that one of the children has released them all from their seatbelts," Inspector Talbot told a media conference yesterday. "We think the car sat for a short time, and the driver's door's been opened and then the car has immediately filled and has sunk straight down."

Tyler and Jai Farquharson
Pictures:Supplied

The incident was being treated as a "tragic accident", Inspector Talbot said.

The car left no skid marks, no sign of speeding, and the breath tests after the accident would show that alcohol had no part either. Blood tests are pending.

By all accounts, the scene at the dam soon after sundown on Sunday night was chaotic. When the Winchelsea CFA and SES arrived, about 8pm, other locals and family members were desperately searching for the boys.

Robert Farquharson had found his way from the car and up to the road. His mobile was wet and useless. He flagged down a driver, who had no mobile, and rode with him into Winchelsea to raise the alarm.

Mother Cindy Gambino, her friends and neighbours were there before emergency services. It was dark and the SES and CFA crews could not see where the car had entered the water.

The assumption was that there were still lives to be saved. It was unclear how long the car had been in the water. Later, it would emerge that it was already too late.

Two CFA volunteers, attached to ropes, dived into the cold water to try to find the car. The bodies would not be found until police divers recovered them at 2am.

It was around 5am when Leigh Marshman, of the SES, and his colleagues made it home. Last night they gathered with their colleagues for counselling.

Last night Robert Farquharson was in Geelong Hospital suffering hypothermia and minor injuries. Cindy Gambino was in Winchelsea Hospital in deep shock, sedated, with family around her."

This is so close to home. I have 3 sons too. OMG how I cried hearing this.

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Homicide police are now questioning the dad I really hope this wasn't deliberate