The girl's father found her body shortly after she disappeared about 7pm on Sunday.

Torquay Surf Lifesaving Club president Noel Dubberley said lifesavers had not long packed up their patrol when the girl's parents raised the alarm.

The girl's parents left their child playing on the banks of Spring Creek inlet, near the Victorian south coast town's surf beach, as they loaded the car just metres away.

"They were packing their car in the car park and the car parks go right up to the water's edge," Mr Dubberley said.

"The child was playing in the sand area right in front of where the car was, approximately 15 metres in front of the car ...

"They took their eyes off the child for less than five minutes, they said."

Mr Dubberley said the fading light and the condition of the water made it difficult to spot the girl.

"It's not clear water ... and anything below the surface is difficult to see," he said.

Lifesavers and members of the public staying at the nearby campgrounds joined the search, but it was the girl's father who found her body in shallow water near the creek bank about 7.40pm, Mr Dubberley said.

"She was in about a metre of water," he said.

Paramedics tried for 45 minutes to resuscitate the girl, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

"It was just a terrible, terrible incident to happen and to happen right in front of where the parents were," Mr Dubberley said.

"[It] just goes to point out that you just cannot take your eyes off children anywhere near the water, it just cannot be done. As parents we cannot be protective enough around children, you just cannot take for granted their safety around water."

It is understood the girl's family were holidaying in the area and had spent the day at the Spring Creek inlet, at the southern end of Torquay's surf beach.

Her parents were "completely distraught", Mr Dubberley said.

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the child's death.

Officers will prepare a report for the Coroner.