A Melbourne high school teacher who died saving a teenager and her father from drowning is being remembered as a hero by her distraught family.

Lisa Mandeltort drowned when a frantic mother ran up to her at Venus Bay last week when her daughter and partner were caught in a rip.

When Ms Mandeltort was approached by the distressed mother, she immediately volunteered to help.

"Look at me I'm in a swimsuit" was the science teacher's reaction her partner Bill told 9news.

The next he saw Ms Mandeltort, she was unconscious on the sand after trying to rescue the 14-year-old girl and her dad.

They made it out uninjured, but sadly Ms Mandeltort couldn't be saved.

"Life is really really bad now and that's what every day is now," Bill said though tears.

Minutes earlier the Rowville couple had been walking along the shore with their dogs after dinner.

Bill was then tasked with telling the 29-year-old's family about their sudden loss.

Linda Mandeltort, Lisa's mother, said she knew something was wrong.

"I knew before I spoke to Bill that she'd gone," she said.

"That's the girl we raised, from as early as I remember she was trying to save a bird or dog, it was her nature."

"I'm proud but sad she's gone … I always knew she'd do what she did but hopping into water … I was hoping she'd come out breathing," Lisa's father Michael said.

Ms Mandeltort's hugs left their mark on her loved ones, perhaps none more so than her sister Beck.

"From the force of love she would give you … she was so amazing this last year – as a critical care nurse it's been very stressful – she'd see how it's going and send me some care package," she said.

The environmentalist had travelled the world, but her true love was teaching and last year she became the head of science at Berwick's Nossal High, her family imploring students to try and achieve their best for the sake of their teacher.

Ms Mandeltort was one of three Victorians to drown in a single day and one of 38 in the past six months.

Her family's only hope now is that others don't overestimate their ability around the water.

"So people like her don't have to do that again," Linda said.

Surf Lifesaving Victoria said drownings are largely preventable and encouraged people to be aware of the dangers before they head out to the coast .

Mr Mandeltort said he wished his daughter was still with them.

"I would rather her be a coward and be here with me. So would we all," he said.

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President Donald Trump is believed to be preparing to issue around 100 pardons and commutations on his final full day in office.

The White House held a meeting on Sunday to finalise the list of pardons, which include white collar criminals, high-profile rappers and others but – as of now – is not expected to include Trump himself, two sources said.

Trump, who had been rolling out pardons and commutations at a steady clip ahead of Christmas, had put a pause on them in the days leading up to and directly after the January 6 riots at the US Capitol, according to officials.

READ MORE: Donald Trump announces wave of pardons

Aides said Trump was singularly focused on the Electoral College count in the days ahead of time, precluding him for making final decisions on pardons.

White House officials had expected them to resume after January 6, but Trump retreated after he was blamed for inciting the riots.

Initially, two major batches had been ready to roll out, one at the end of last week and one on Tuesday.

Now, officials expect the last batch to be the only one – unless Trump decides at the last minute to grant pardons to controversial allies, members of his family or himself.

READ MORE: Trump can, and just might, pardon himself: John Bolton

The final batch of clemency actions is expected to include a mix of criminal justice reform-minded pardons and more controversial ones secured or doled out to political allies.

The pardons are one of several items Trump must complete before his presidency ends in days.

White House officials also still have executive orders prepared, and the President is still hopeful to declassify information related to the Russia probe before he leaves office.

But with a waning number of administration officials still in jobs, the likelihood that any of it gets done seemed to be shrinking.

The January 6 riots that led to Trump's second impeachment have complicated his desire to pardon himself, his kids and personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

At this point, aides do not think he will do so, but caution only Trump knows what he will do with his last bit of presidential power before he is officially out of office at noon on January 20.

After the riots, advisers encouraged Trump to forgo a self-pardon because it would appear like he was guilty of something, according to one person familiar with the conversations.

Several of Trump's closest advisers have also urged him not to grant clemency to anyone involved in the siege on the US Capitol, despite Trump's initial stance that those involved had done nothing wrong.

"There are a lot of people urging the President to pardon the folks" involved in the insurrection, Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham said Sunday on Fox News.

"To seek a pardon of these people would be wrong."

One White House official said paperwork had not yet been drawn up for a self-pardon.

Still, Trump is expected to leave the White House on January 20 and could issue pardons up until noon on Inauguration Day.

Other attention-grabbing names, like Julian Assange, are also not currently believed to be among the people receiving pardons, but the list is still fluid and that could change, too.

It's also not certain whether Trump's former adviser Steve Bannon will receive a pardon.

Trump is still receiving multiple streams of recommendations on pardons from those advisers who remain at the White House, as well as people outside the building who have been lobbying for months for themselves or their clients.

The expectation among allies is that Trump will issue pardons that he could benefit from post presidency.

"Everything is a transaction. He likes pardons because it is unilateral. And he likes doing favours for people he thinks will owe him," one source familiar with the matter said.

Inside the White House, there has been a scramble to petition for pardons on behalf of allies and advocacy groups and names could be added and taken off up until the last minute, sources say.

CNN previously reported there has been a crush of pardon requests during Trump's final days in office from allies, lobbyists and others hoping to cash in on their loyalty to Trump.

The New York Times reported Sunday some of those people were getting paid tens of thousands of dollars to lobby on behalf of felons hoping for pardons.

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It's been arguably the most tumultuous political landscape America has faced since 1968, with many hoping for calm once President-Elect Joe Biden officially takes office.

Biden's inauguration will mark the official start of his four-year term, and due to COVID-19 and security concerns, will go ahead without much of the pomp and fanfare that is usually carried with such occasions.

If you're interested in following along in Australia, here's what we know about Mr Biden's inauguration:

READ MORE: US braces for potentially violent week

What day and time will Joe Biden's inauguration be?

As part of US presidential tradition, the presidential inauguration is held at noon Eastern Time Zone on January 20. It has occurred this way since 1937.

Here in Australia, that means it will be held on January 21, at 4am AEDT for the east coast states (Sydney and Melbourne). Due to not recognising daylight savings it will be around 3am in Brisbane.

There are standard pre-inauguration activities, which you can expect to start happening from around 1.30am AEDT.

Curiously, since 1937 there have been three occasions where the inauguration has not occurred on January 20: these were because the dates fell on a Sunday.

On those occasions, the ceremony was held privately before public activities the next day on January 21.

READ MORE: Man arrested outside US Capitol with gun amid inauguration warning

Where can I watch the inauguration in Australia?

You can watch the full livestream at 9News.com.au and follow along on the 9News app.

There will also be a live blog covering the latest events, and explaining the meaning behind traditional ceremonies and activities.

READ MORE: No alcohol and no checked guns: Airlines tighten security for Inauguration Day

Where is it, and what does it involve?

The inauguration will be held at the Western front of the US Capitol building – the very building that was infamously the scene of the riots almost two weeks ago.

It's the façade of the building that faces the National Mall.

The ceremony itself is quite traditional, although in light of recent events we can expect to see some – or multiple – changes.

Traditionally the ceremony involves Mr Biden taking the oath of office. Most presidents place their hand on a bible when being sworn in, however there is no requirement this be done in the US constitution.

Mr Biden has confirmed he will be sworn in on a family bible that has been passed down since 1893.

Following that, a marine band will play a few tunes while a 21-gun salute is performed.

After this, Mr Biden will likely give his inaugural address, the speech in which a new president lays out their vision for America, and hopes for the future.

READ MORE: Washington locks down one week before inauguration

Will Donald Trump be there?

No.

Traditionally the outgoing President – and any surviving former presidents – will be in attendance. But Donald Trump has already confirmed in a tweet he will not be attending.

Vice President Mike Pence will be there, as will former presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush.

READ MORE: Donald Trump becomes first US President to be impeached twice

Are they expecting riots and protests?

Yes.

The threat of extremist groups rioting during Mr Biden's inauguration is high, and parts of the Capitol have already been fenced off and boarded up.

There will be massive security coverage, including the National Guard.

The FBI has already performed an extensive risk assessment, with the primary worry being action from domestic terrorists.

You can read more about the expectations of protests here.

READ MORE: FBI warns of plans for nationwide armed protests

What changes will there be for Joe Biden's inauguration?

There are so many factors why Mr Biden's inauguration will look different.

Firstly, there is the recent US Capitol riots by Trump supporters who stormed the very building Mr Biden is to be sworn in at.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, is the ever-present COVID-19 threat.

Mr Biden won presidency on a platform of taking the virus seriously, and as such there will not be the heaving mass of crowds that are traditionally there.

Instead, the live audience for the event has been restricted to members of Congress and one guest each. Everyone present will need to wear a mask.

This will limit total guests to around 3000 people. Normally there can be up to 200,000.

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