FORMER US Olympic skier Bode Miller’s 19-month-old daughter Emeline accidentally drowned in a neighbour’s pool this week.

As the family reeled from the tragedy, a GoFundMe page was set up on their behalf by their well-meaning midwife, Lindsey Meehleis, in an effort to “help take the burden off of the mountainous medical bills that will soon pile in and the memorial service costs”.

The page was launched on June 11, the day after Emeline’s death, with the goal of raising $40,000 ($AUD53,591).

Just four days on, $21,369 ($AUD28,630) has already been raised by 405 donors for Miller and his wife Morgan Beck Miller, who is heavily pregnant with the couple’s third child.

The pair also have a son, Nash Skan Miller, who was born in 2015.

But there is growing backlash against the fundraising efforts on social media, with many users pointing out that as a millionaire skiing champion, Miller has no need for donations from strangers.

Many have argued the money would be better spent on struggling families grappling with similar tragedies, or on causes where it could actually make a difference.

It has been widely reported the gold medal winner has a net worth of $8 million ($AUD10.7 million), and that he previously owned a 30-metre luxury yacht, and co-owned a racehorse.

In light of that vast fortune, social media users have slammed the fundraising as “absurdly tacky”, “insulting” and “disgusting”.

Despite the criticism, both Miller and his wife have shared the link to the GoFundMe page on their social media bios.

The couple have also thanked supporters for donating to the family.

Both have shared photos of themselves with Emeline on Instagram with the same caption: “Thank you for all the love and support and to our midwives @lindseymeehleis and @courtneykellis for helping us find the support our family needs during this impossible time.”

Both posts originally were accompanied by the words: “Links in bio”, referring to the GoFundMe link, although the line has now been removed from both accounts.

Emeline passed away at a neighbour’s home in California, after she and her mother had dropped by for a visit.

At some point, the child wandered off and fell into the pool, and it has been reported she was underwater for several minutes before she was found by her mother.

Details of the harrowing 911 call made at the scene have been released to the public, with a woman frantically heard asking the emergency operator how to perform CPR, CBS News has reported.

“Come on, Emmy. Come on baby girl,” the unnamed woman can be heard pleading in the recording.

Miller also has a daughter, Neesyn Dacey, who was born in 2008 to ex-girlfriend Chanel Johnson.

He also has a son — who is called Sam by his mother and Nate by his father — who was born in 2013 to former partner Sara McKenna.

Ms McKenna fell pregnant after dating Miller for a few months, and the pair went through a bitter and lengthy custody battle.

Sadly, Miller, the most successful male American alpine ski racer of all time, is no stranger to tragedy.

His younger brother, snowboarder Chelone, died in 2013 at age 29 following a horrific dirt-bike crash in 2005 which left him suffering from regular seizures.