Nigerian-born Australia high school teacher drowns at Rye beach

Christopher Onuorah, a much-loved Maths and science teacher at Staughton College in Melton, Victoria, has tragically drowned at Rye Beach, Australia. 

Mr Onuorah, who was born in Nigeria, was found floating in the water by a jet ski rider last Friday, on 3 January 2025 off a beach on the Mornington Peninsula, 100km south of Melbourne’s CBD. 

According to reports, the emergency services were called to Tyrone Beach in Rye at around 5.30pm on January 3 after Mr Onuorah was found in the water. 

He was given CPR once he was brought to shore but was unable to be revived. 

Mr Onuorah taught maths and science at Staughton College, in the north-western Melbourne suburb of Melton South. 

He wrote on his LinkedIn profile that “I pride myself in approaching each child as a unique individual with specific learning needs”. 

“I’m passionate about using my experience to actualise an all-round development of children,” he added. 

His Australia-based friends have set up a GoFundMe to raise enough money to send his remains home to Nigeria to his family and to help them cover the cost of his burial. 

“Christopher was a beacon of light to all who knew him,” organiser Emmanuel Ado wrote. 

“(He was) kind-hearted, full of life, and deeply loved by his family and friends. His untimely passing has left a void in the lives of those who cherished him.”