BOAT ACCIDENT Wollongong

[mrsswordfisherman]

One person dead, three in critical condition after boat accident off Wollongong coast

By Ainslie Drewitt-Smith 

 

Emergency crews were called to Sandon Point Beach near Bulli after the boating accident.(ABC News: Ainslie Drewitt-Smith )

One person has died and three people are in a critical condition after a boating accident in the Illawarra region of New South Wales.

Key points:

• Seven males were on the boat who police believe knew each other
• Four men were caught underneath the boat
• A surfer who paddled to the boat to help sustained burns

 

Emergency crews were called to Sandon Point Beach, near Bulli, about 10:20am today after reports a boat had capsized with seven males from Sydney onboard.

NSW Ambulance's duty operations manager, Norm Rees, said officers were confronted with a very large scale, challenging and chaotic scene.  

"There were seven males on a boat that had overturned. Three had swum clear and were treated by surf [lifesavers]" Mr Rees said.

"Four were caught underneath the overturned boat and, I believe, surf [lifesavers] rescued them and dragged them onto the beach and commenced CPR."

Seven people were on the boat when it capsized.(ABC News)

An eighth person who had paddled out to the boat to assist sustained some chemical burns, from what Mr Rees said was believed to have come from the boat's fuel.

Three of the four men who were treated on the beach had gone into cardiac arrest. One was not able to be revived and died at the scene.

NSW Ambulance said three patients were in a critical condition in hospitals across Sydney — a 38-year-old at St Georges Hospital, a 37-year-old at Liverpool Hospital and another man at Wollongong Hospital.

Two were in a stable condition at Wollongong Hospital and two did not require hospital admission.

Wollongong Police Area Command's chief inspector, Darren Brown, said what had unfolded was an absolute tragedy and an investigation into the cause of the accident had commenced.

"We have detectives speaking to the skipper of the vessel as we speak and there's numerous witnesses," Inspector Brown said.

"It's going to take us a while to get through those and the investigation will take a bit of time.

"We have police coming from Marine Area Command, from Sydney, to assist us in any investigation. The vessel had been secured and towed as part of the investigation." 

Several victims were taken to three different hospitals.(ABC News)

Inspector Brown also said it was obvious the men knew each other, but it was unclear if they "were fishing" or doing some other "recreation".

The ages of the men is also unknown.

Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce, who was at a nearby beach, said it was one of the most tragic incidents he had seen in the Illawarra in the past few years. But it could have been worse.

"It was extremely fortuitous that the [surf lifesaving club] itself were doing a training exercise or preparing for a training exercise, so they had every boat, every jet ski on the beach ready to launch," Mr Pearce said.

"It is the quickest response that could ever have occurred for this incident.

"If the moons had not aligned, if the sliding door moment had not occurred, we would have multiple fatalities today, I am confident of that."

He praised the work of the volunteers as "miraculous" and "courageous" in braving the large surf and choppy conditions to perform the rescue.

He also said the surfers who kept the victims afloat while help arrived were "heroes".

Emergency crews were called to Sandon Point Beach near Bulli after the boating accident.(ABC News)

Police are speaking to the skipper of the boat as part of their investigation.(ABC News: Ainslie Drewitt-Smith )

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-31/one-dead-after-seven-rescued-boat-accident-off-wollongong-coast/100583584

[noelm]

I guess it's a timely warning to take care and treat safety gear and boat seriously, so sad for someone's family.

[mrsswordfisherman]

I really hope no fishraiders were involved in this tragic accident 🙏 😢

[masterfisho7]

I am with you Donna with that its so sad