Police, other emergency services and civilians search for a missing girl, after she went swimming in the Brisbane River Colleges Crossing Recreational Reserve, Chuwar, west of Brisbane. Photo Steve Pohlner

The brother of a girl who drowned at an Ipswich swimming hole desperately screamed for help as she disappeared underwater, while frantic bystanders leapt into action to try and save her.

The seven-year-old girl was playing with her brother in the water at Colleges Crossing Recreational Reserve at Chuwar on Saturday afternoon before she vanished under the water, sparking a massive police search which stretched into the night.

Paramedics at the scene Saturday evening. Picture: Supplied

The girl’s body was found in the water by police divers about 10.30pm.

It’s understood the seven-year-old girl was at the swimming spot with her two siblings, and her sister’s disability support carer.

Witness Ashlee Jordan was playing with her toddler in the water at the swimming spot just before 5pm when she heard a 10-year-old boy start screaming about 20m away from her.

“The whole incident unfolded right near us,” Ms Jordan said.

“A little boy just started screaming ‘help!’.

“I just suddenly heard screams, the boy was yelling ‘my sister, my sister, she was in the water, she’s disappeared!’.”

Flowers laid by the water’s edge on Sunday.

Colleges Crossing Recreational Reserve at Chuwar.

Ms Jordan and multiple bystanders ran to the boy and called police, while others jumped into the murky water to try and find the seven-year-old girl themselves.

Police arrived at the scene just minutes after a triple-0 call was made and closed down the scene just after 5pm.

Ms Jordan said a woman – who the children appeared to be under the supervision of – then ran down to the water’s edge with police and began yelling.

It’s understood she was a disability carer for the girl’s sister.

“She came down and was walking along the water with a police officer screaming and wailing.”

Locals helped with the search. Photo: Steve Pohlner

Police, including POLAIR and the dive unit, searched the water and surrounding banks for hours on Saturday.

Divers arrived at the section of river where the little girl was last seen shortly after 8pm to enter the water in the dark.

On the bank, frantic locals used the torchlight from their mobile phones to help crews.

The search for a missing girl, after she went swimming in the Brisbane river Colleges Crossing Recreational Reserve. Photo: Steve Pohlner

Among the locals who joined the search was one man from Kookaburra Parks who said the shallow areas were known to have a strong current.

“Five o’clock would have been just an hour before high tide,” he said.

“The current picks up, it gets quite shallow and it does pull quite fast.

“For a seven-year-old depending on their swimming capabilities (it could be dangerous).”

Colleges Crossing Recreational Reserve at Chuwar.

At 10.24pm, the girl was found in the water by police divers and declared deceased.

Ms Jordan said she was distraught after witnessing the horrific ordeal.

“It was distressing, I’ve never witnessed anything like that before, the way it unfolded was so quick.”

Mourners laid flowers at the scene on Sunday morning, including a woman who said the Ipswich community had felt the girl’s death deeply.

“I feel that the community feels the loss of a child personally – this was one of our kids,” she said

“How could I just drive straight back home and live a normal day and not address this?

“We’ll never forget.”

Colleges Crossing Recreational Reserve at Chuwar.

The woman also said that at low tide the currents could be treacherous in deeper sections of the river.

“The water is going incredibly fast just there, if you’re little you can’t compete with that,” she said.

“A little person can’t fight that, you need to be a competent person to be able to navigate that.”

The girl’s brother was taken to Ipswich Hospital in a stable condition after taking in water.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the carer.