The regular outing she enjoyed with her parents, searching for new locations to set up camp.

But at 12.45pm on Monday, the joy and laughter came to a tragic end when Mrs Lannen, 44, drowned in the turbulent waters of the seemingly idyllic spot known as Ladies Well.

“Clare was always looking for spots to go because she loved her camping. That’s just what we did as a family,” her mother, Margaret Richardson, said.

“But you just don’t expect something like this to happen. She was just so happy, we were all just so happy, and in a split second she was gone.”

Shortly after lunch on Monday,Mrs Lannen, of Bolwarra Heights, and her father, Bob Richardson, went for a walk to look at the water at Ladies Well, in the Chichester State Forest, Upper Allyn.

Mrs Lannen, a mother of three, flicked off her shoes to see how cold the water was.

“Clare overbalanced and went onto her knees, but we both laughed because she had gotten her pants wet,” Mr Richardson said.

“But when she went to stand up her feet went from under her and fell into the flowing water.”

Meanwhile, Mrs Richardson was forced to endure the horror from the water’s edge.

“Clare was trying to get onto the edge but seconds later she was in under the waterfall, into this swirling water, and it was just like a big washing machine,” she said.

“She kept coming up and taking breaths and Bob got her at one stage and they both went under.”

But while Mr Richardson managed to emerge, his daughter couldn’t fight the water.

“Two young boys and a girl came to help and one of them just dived straight in off the top of the rocks and got Clare,” he said.

“We started CPR and worked on her for about 40 minutes. We thought we were getting a response, there was enough hope there to keep going, but when the ambulance arrived there was nothing they could do.”

Following their daughter’s tragic death, the Richardsons had to make the journey home to tell Jacob, 21, Isabella, 19, and Hugh, 13, that their mother had died.

Mrs Lannen’s husband, Peter, was overseas on business.

“It all happened in an instant and then we had to turn around and face the kids,” Mr Richardson said.

“Bella was ringing Clare’s phone wanting to talk to her, but we couldn’t tell her over the phone. We had to make excuses until we got home.”

The Richardson and Lannen families have been inundated with condolences for the loss of a woman her parents have described as the centre of everything.

“Clare had so many friends and she was so well-liked. She was a passionate mother, housewife and she loved kids,” Mrs Richardson said.

“She loved her chooks out in the backyard, she loved cooking and bossing everyone around. But really she kept the family together. We’d come to the weekend and Clare would’ve organised something. ‘Come to party central’ she’d say.

“I just can’t believe this has happened. I cannot believe it. It just keeps playing over and over in my head. You just never know when your time is up.”

But for Mr Richardson, the eternal question remains.

“Could I have done more? I’ll spend the rest of my life wondering about that.”

“But you just don’t expect something like this to happen. She was just so happy, we were all just so happy, and in a split second she was gone.”