text: The five-year-old girl who survived when a car driven by her mother plunged into a lake believes her three siblings who died in the crash were eaten by crocodiles. Awel Manyang, who is recovering in hospital, believes her younger sister and two brothers died when they were taken by a crocodile because the children associate the giant reptiles with water. Her siblings - one-year-old brother Bol and four-year-old twins Madit and Anger - died after their mother Akon Guode crashed her 4WD into a lake at Wyndham Vale in Melbourne's outer west on Wednesday. The children's father, Joseph Tito Manyang, says five-year-old Awel remains in a serious condition at the Royal Children's Hospital but she remembers the accident. Scroll down for videos . Awel Manyang, pictured here as a baby with her mother Akon Guode, believes her three siblings who died in the crash at a Melbourne lake were eaten by crocodiles in the water . 'Always when they see water they think of crocodiles, so that's what she said. She said they'd fallen into the water and there were crocodiles eating my younger brothers and sister,' Mr Manyang said, according to the Herald Sun. 'I went to see her yesterday and she was happy to see me. She knew me when I asked: 'Do you know me?' She said, 'Yeah, you're Daddy'.' Mr Manyang's partner and mother of the children, Akon Guode, was released from police custody on Thursday night after homicide detectives questioned her over the crash. She told him she was feeling 'very dizzy' before the accident and remembers her children crying out. The crash on Wednesday killed four-year-old twins Madit and Anger (pictured) and their one-year-old brother Bol when the 4WD plunged into a lake . One-year-old Bol (left) and four-year-old twins Madit and Anger (right) all died after the 4WD they were in crashed into a lake at Wyndham Vale in Melbourne's outer west just before 4pm on Wednesday . Ms Guode has been sent to stay with a relative after portraits of the deceased children and memories of them running around the family home became too much. 'She's very shocked,' Mr Manyang said. 'She was crying every 10 minutes. She remembers everything at home and how the kids were walking around and playing.' Mr Manyang says his partner told him she 'didn't feel herself' as she was driving and can only remember parts of the aftermath of the crash, The Age reports. But she does recall being in the water and hearing her surviving five-year-old daughter Awel saying 'Mama, the children are falling under the water'. Mr Manyang was struggling with the news his three young children had died. 'The feeling is very hard for me,' he said. 'My kids, they were very good ... always, they were happy. Especially the twins. It is a big shock to me to get this information.' He revealed Ms Guode called him at 2.16pm on Wednesday afternoon but by the time he returned the call there was no answer. 'Bol, is still shy, is one year and a half, always we play together, that's what has happened, but it is a big shock for me to get this information. It has happened to me, to lose three children at once,' he told SBS radio. The children's father, Joseph Tito Manyang (second from right), was hugged by a mourner at the crash site at Wyndham Vale in Melbourne's outer west . It comes as Mr Manyang defended the children's mother earlier on Thursday saying he didn't believe she caused the crash deliberately and said she was extremely distressed. 'She is a very good mother,' he told the Herald Sun. 'She loved the kids. She took care of the kids. I don't think she planned to do anything. 'I'm still believing she's innocent. 'My message to the community - because there is a lot of talking around, there is untruths - what I can tell them is they have to wait for the report from the police investigation, that will be the truth.' He  made an emotional visit to the crash site on Thursday where floral tributes were starting to build up from the Sudanese community who knew the family and from strangers. Ms Guode, who is the mother of seven children, came to Melbourne from South Sudan to escape war after her first husband died. The children's mother, Akorn Manang, was behind the wheel of grey 2005 Toyota Kluger when it plunged into the lake on Manor Lakes Boulevard . Police have retrieved the four-wheel-drive after it was plunged into the Wyndham Vale on Wednesday . Mourners pray at a makeshift shrine at the scene where a 4WD was submerged in Lake Gladman . Mr Manyang's 16-year-old niece, Amani Alier, said the family were trying to console him following the devastating news. 'He's shattered, he couldn't stop crying, his nose was bleeding,' she said. 'He just dropped when he saw a picture of his son on the wall. It's so hard for him to deal with. He loved those kids.' It follows as the four-wheel-drive was removed from the lake on Thursday afternoon. Thomas Kok, the cousin of the children's father, who spent the night at the children's hospital with Awel, visited the crash site on Thursday morning to pay tribute to the children. 'It's a shock for everyone,' Mr Kok said, according to the Herald Sun. 'We spent all night at hospital until 3 in the morning.' It comes as the tight-knit Sudanese community and nearby residents started leaving floral tributes for the three children. 'As soon as I saw the community coming towards this scene where the incident's happened, it's making me feel like people care,' Mr Kok said. The tight-knit Sudanese community and nearby residents started leaving floral tributes for the three children . The 2005 Toyota Kluger is expected to be removed from the lake late on Thursday morning . The family with seven children moved from South Sudan to Australia in 2008 . Thomas Kok, the cousin of the children's father, who spent the night at the children's hospital with Awel, visited the crash site on Thursday morning to pay tribute to the children . Police have confirmed the mother is assisting the homicide squad with their investigation as they appealed for members of the Sudanese community to come forward if they knew anything about what was going on in the family's life. 'We need to understand what led to this, we need to understand the background of this family, we need to understand what was happening in their lives,' Superintendent Stuart Bateson said. 'Hopefully this will lead to a greater understanding of what led to this incident. We appeal especially to the Sudanese community who might know what was happening in this family's life, what their movements were before this tragedy.' A witness Michelle relived the tragic moment the car ploughed into the lake on Thursday morning. 'It is still in my mind now, every time you close your eyes you just see someone so little,' she told Nine News in tears. 'My heart goes out to the family and to everybody who witnessed it. 'Those rescuers, those workers, when it was winding down it was just devastating seeing them sitting in the gutter.' Michelle told 3AW late on Wednesday that her friend Travis rescued one of the young boys from the vehicle. 'Travis jumped into the water and smashed the back windscreen and got one little boy out. (Emergency workers) then started working on the child,' she said. 'I only saw three get taken out. I believe they were travelling down the boulevard...and they've just gone over and into the lake.' Emotions were still raw on Thursday morning for neighbour Michelle who witnessed the grey 2005 Toyota Kluger plunging into the lake on Manor Lakes Boulevard . The search and rescue team remained at the scene to try and pull the car from the water, which is reportedly about 20 to 30 metres from shore . Locals are shocked as to how the car was able to get into the centre of the lake as it is 'pretty far from the road' Detective from the Homicide Squad and the Major Collision Investigation Unit have spoken to some witnesses but they are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. It is not yet know if it was a deliberate act or an accident, according to police. It's believed the grey 2005 Toyota Kluger 4WD was travelling towards Pedder St and Minindee Road when the incident occurred. Police particularly wish to speak to anyone who saw the car between 3.30 and 3.45pm. Witnesses or anyone with further information about the incident should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A mini shrine for the three young children grew on Thursday as families visited the area to pay their respects . Two young girls carried flowers to the lake where three three died when the car they were in crashed . Victoria police said that the exact circumstances of how the car went into the lake are yet to be determined . A resident named Michelle told 3AW that her neighbour broke open the back windscreen of the 4WD to save the children . Victoria Ambulance said the children were taken to The Royal Children's hospital via air ambulance . Further tests will be conducted in order to determine whether the car had any mechanical defects .
target: Mother Akon Guode was released from police custody on Thursday night .
  She crashed 4WD into Melbourne lake just before 4pm on Wednesday .
  Her three young children died and another is now recovering in hospital .
  Children's father says Ms Guode 'didn't feel herself' as she was driving .