A FORMER soldier broke down this morning while recalling the harrowing moment he lost his partner and three young children today to the devastating Black Saturday fires four years ago.
Darrin Gibson told the Supreme Court he cowered in a dam of his Kinglake West property with his severely injured one-year-old daughter Ava while his partner, Lesley Leahy, daughter Kiona, 4, and son Jye, 3 died while sheltering behind a tree less than 20 metres away.
Mr Gibson is one of 10,000 people suing electricity providers over the fires.
Mr Gibson walked to a neighbours property with his feet melting while cradling Ava in his arms.
He gave his daughter to his neighbour's wife while she was still alive before collapsing with exhaustion "I just wanted her to be held by a woman," Mr Gibson said.
Ava died in hospital from her injuries two days later.
The family were forced to flee their home after it caught fire during the fires on February 7, 2009.
"The top of the house started to collapse. Said "get to the dam". I looked at Lesley and she was sitting on the ground. She said she couldn't move," Mr Gibson said
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