A 34-year-old mother and her five-year-old daughter, who drowned in a pool at a resort in The Blue Mountains, appeared apprehensive as they entered the water just minutes earlier.

Security video acquired by CTV News Toronto shows the pair entering the pool area. They both take off their robes and enter the shallow water timidly, with the young girl scooting in on her bottom, step-by-step. The mother can be seen grasping on to the stair rail. Both clutch a small floatation device as they walk in.

Within minutes, they are out of sight.

Three individuals, who arrived at the pool area just five minutes later, found the pair under water.

Ontario Provincial Police say officers were called to the Mountain Springs Resort, just west of Collingwood, Ont., at around 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday night.

Both the mother and daughter were rushed to a local hospital but died a short time later.

Few other details have been provided about the circumstances surrounding the tragedy but OPP say the investigation is ongoing.

According to the property manager, the family had rented a privately-owned home on the resort's grounds and had access to the pool.

The husband and father of the victims, Yiting Gong from Scarborough, identified the victims as 34-year-old Tiffany and five-year-old Chloe.

Gong said that he arrived at the pool 10 minutes after his wife and daughter did. He said by the time he arrived they were "gone."

He described his family as “lovely” and spoke softly while describing his grief and disbelief.

“My heart is broken,” he said.

“I don’t know why they don’t have a lifeguard… They should have a lifeguard to save their life.”

The Toronto District School Board confirmed that Chloe was a kindergarten student at Iroquois Junior Public School in Scarborough.

Her principal remembered her as a “vibrant student” who will be dearly missed by staff and fellow students.

“This has been a somber day for all of us at the school as we mourn this tragedy. I know that you will join with all of us in expressing our deepest condolences to grieving family and friends,” principal Marcia Pate wrote in a letter addressed to parents.

“Some of our students and staff are understandably upset and our focus will be to help students and staff cope with Chloe’s death.”

Pate informed parents that “specially trained” TDSB staff members were made available to students today to provide support and counselling for anyone struggling with the news.

“We do encourage families to talk about this event in whatever way that is appropriate for your family,” she said.

OPP Const. Martin Hachey said investigators are seeking witnesses and gathering surveillance footage related to the incident. He said it's not clear whether the mother drowned while attempted to save her daughter but that investigators aren't ruling out anything.

An autopsy is scheduled to take place today in Toronto.

Hachey said the tragedy should serve as a reminder about water safety, whether in a controlled body of water like a swimming pool or in a lake.

"Whether you know how to swim or not, you need to be safe in the water at any time," he told CP24.