Tragedy in Sydney Harbour

[Reel Nauti]

Just heard on the radio that there was a collision between a trawler and another boat at approx 0245 today. The other boat apparently had 14 people on board. 5 were killed and 9 were injured.

It's only a year or so ago a girl was killed as a result of a collision in Sydney harbour.

Haven't heard of the reasons etc yet. A terrible, terrible day for a lot of people. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Dave

[Outsider1]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/01/2232111.htm

Five dead in Sydney Harbour crash

Posted 4 hours 27 minutes ago
Updated 26 minutes ago
http://www.abc.net.au/news/img/2007/btn_editorspick_prev_26x16.png (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:slideshowPrev%28%29;) http://www.abc.net.au/news/img/2007/btn_editorspick_next_26x16.png (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:slideshowNext%28%29;) Slideshow: Photo 1 of 4
http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200805/r246184_1005681.jpg (http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200805/r246184_1005688.jpg) 14 people on board: Five died when the smaller boat (l) was hit by a fishing trawler (AAP: Per Groth)

Video: Smash victims rushed to hospital (ABC News) (http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200805/r246195_1005757.asx)
Audio: AM reports: Five dead in boat crash (AM) (http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/am/200805/20080501-am-crashreport.mp3)
Audio: John Wilson from the NSW Ambulance Service (ABC News) (http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/news-audio/200805/20080501-boat-rescuer.mp3)
Audio: Doctor talks about boat crash scene (Local Radio) (http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/news-audio/200805/20080501-702-squires-boatcrash.mp3)
Audio: Police speak about Sydney Harbour boat crash (AM) (http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/am/200805/20080501-porter-police.mp3)
Audio: Police press conference on boat crash (ABC News) (http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/news-audio/200805/20080501-boat-policeconference.mp3)
Audio: RNSH spokeswoman Pat McDermott on Harbour boat crash casualities (ABC News) (http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/news-audio/200805/20080501-boat-hospital.mp3)
Audio: AM's David Mark reports on boat crash (AM) (http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/am/200805/200805am11-mark-live.mp3)
Map: North Sydney 2060 (http://www.abc.net.au/news/maps/map.htm?lat=-33.85229&long=151.24636&caption=North%20Sydney%202060)
Related Link: Send us your photos (http://www.abc.net.au/news/upload/)
Five young people are dead and nine have been injured after the overloaded small boat they were in was hit by a trawler in Sydney Harbour early this morning.
The crash between the trawler 'Jordan' and the other vessel, apparently belonging to a ship-repairing company, happened just before 3:00am (AEST) off Bradleys Head, about 150 metres from the wharf used by visitors to Sydney's famous Taronga Park Zoo.
The smaller, 23-foot boat was rated to carry eight people but had 14 people aged between 18 and 31 on board. Four of the dead were female and all were in their late teens or early 20s.
All the injured were male apart from an 18-year-old woman, who is in Sydney's Royal North Shore hospital with spinal injuries. A 30-year-old man was airlifted to the hospital in a critical condition and is undergoing surgery.
Police say the half-cabin boat, owned by a ship-repairing company, was not operating commercially at the time of the crash.
A police spokesman said he could not comment on whether the boat had its navigation lights switched on or whether the victims were wearing lifejackets.
But he said the "indications are" that it was overloaded.
The trawler was heading out to sea with two crewmen on board. Neither was injured.
Scene of horror

Ambulance service medics described a scene of horror on the Taronga wharf as the dead and injured were taken ashore from the stricken half-cabin boat.
Doctor Brett Squires from the Ambulance Service helicopter was winched on to the wharf to treat the injured.
"There was a young woman that I was seeing with a spinal injury and a number of friends of hers presumably that were dead on the boat," he said.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has extended his condolences to the victims and their families.
"I am stunned by this, it's terrible news," he said. "For parents of those who've lost their lives this is just a terrible, terrible day."
Police said people in passing boats helped get some of the victims to shore and called 000. Search boats and helicopters located the other passengers and plucked them from the water within an hour.
Both boats have been towed to water police headquarters at Balmain where police will continue their investigations.
All the survivors were being treated this morning at Royal North Shore hospital.
'Chaotic'

"[When we arrived the scene was] quite chaotic," said ambulance service spokesman John Wilson.
"We had a number of paramedics working on patients. We had two patients with spinal injuries that required a lot of treatment [and they were] transported to Royal North Shore Hospital by road.
"We had another patient that had lacerations and other injuries [who was] also transported to Royal North Shore Hospital and five walking patients with minor injuries.
"One was a working boat with 14 people on it," he added.
"I can't really comment any further about what it was doing out there with 14 people on it. The other, I'm led to believe, was a fishing trawler."
Pat McDermot from the Royal North Shore Hospital said eight of the injured people were young men and one was a young woman.
"The ages range from 18 to 31, the youngest person is the young woman," she said.
"We have six people in the emergency department who ... I think are going to be fine, but we have three that are in resuscitation, who are critically ill."
Water police are now working to secure the crash scene and begin investigations into the cause of the incident. Witnesses are being urged to come forward.
Police Acting Inspector Tony Bear said: "To the best of our knowledge all persons were plucked from the harbour in a very short period of time after the accident."
New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma has offered his condolences to those involved. He says authorities will work tirelessly to find out what went wrong, and the State Government will assist the investigation in any way possible.
Bradleys Head is one of the major points jutting out into Sydney Harbour and has to be negotiated as boats head east out to sea or on to Manly and other harbour attractions to the north.

[Outsider1]

And a further development;

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/01/2232283.htm?section=justin

Sydney boat crash vessel was stolen: owner

Posted 9 minutes ago
Map: North Sydney 2060 (http://www.abc.net.au/news/maps/map.htm?lat=-33.8309&long=151.2077&caption=North%20Sydney%202060)
The owner of the boat involved in this morning's deadly collision with a trawler on Sydney Harbour says the vessel was stolen.
Four women and one man in their late teens and early 20s were killed when the overloaded half-cabin vessel, owned by Sydney Ship Repair and Engineering (SSRE), was hit by a trawler heading out to sea off Bradleys Head at about 3:00am.
Nine other people who were in the boat were injured and taken to Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital.
All the injured were male apart from an 18-year-old woman, who suffered spinal injuries. A 30-year-old man was airlifted to the hospital in a critical condition and is undergoing surgery this morning.
SSRE owner John McPherson says the boat, which was licenced to carry eight people, was stolen from its berth at Balmain overnight.
Mr McPherson said a spare set of keys had been left on board the boat last night.
He says all of his employees have been accounted for.

[SgBFish]

A tragedy.

Regardless of the reason collisions at sea seem to happening more regularly.

[tunaticer]

I sure hope the owner of the struck vessel does not face any charges for secreting spare keys on board even though they were hidden.

Sure smells to me that somebody knew they were there and was taking liberties with the vessel.

Be very interested in reading the coronial verdict.

Jack.

[disorderly]

I sure hope the owner of the struck vessel does not face any charges for secreting spare keys on board even though they were hidden.

Sure smells to me that somebody knew they were there and was taking liberties with the vessel.

Be very interested in reading the coronial verdict.

Jack.

Yes Jack,it sure sounds like it was some type of organised affair...otherwise it would be the first case of boat theft that I've heard of that involved 14 people from a range of nationality's.....http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/undecided.gif
It sounds like somebody (whoever was driving)has made a monumental stuff up and created a terrible tragedy..http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/sad.gif
It's all fun and games till the sh!t hits the fan then many people and families suffer enormous grief as a consequence...http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/cry.gif
Be safe on the water guys..particularly when others lives are in your hands.http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/smiley.gif

[muzzytt]

looking at the pictures it would seem the running lights of the struck vessel are on unless the authorites turned them on?

[Fish Guts]

yeah noticed that aswell muzz. interesting

[muzzytt]

yeah if you look at the footage and pics from the toronga zoo wharf you will clearly see them on .

[Fish Guts]

really doubt they (water police) would have turned them on ? looks like a steber the other boat. interesting to see coronor recommendations in about a years time.

[SgBFish]

The smaller boat seems to have been struck on port side that would indicate he had right of way.