One man has died and another was rescued after their boat capsized while crossing a coastal bar in northern New South Wales.
Two people were seen clinging to the overturned hull of a 6.5-metre boat on the north wall of Tweed River Bar at around 6am on Saturday.
Emergency crews launched a rescue operation involving several bodies, including local and maritime police, a rescue helicopter and lifeguards.
A man was pulled from the water and taken to Tweed Heads Hospital for precautionary checks.
A second man was rescued from the ocean by a rescue helicopter and taken to nearby Duranbah Beach, but could not be revived.
He has not yet been formally identified.
The men launched the boat from the Kennedy Drive boat ramp and were heading toward the other side of the bar when the boat capsized.
“Initial investigations indicate that neither of the men were wearing life jackets,” a New South Wales Police spokesman said.
One man has died and another has been rescued after a boat accident near Tweed Heads (pictured: the men’s boat after it was washed ashore)
Police said the men were attempting to cross the Tweed Bar River when the boat capsized.
According to the New South Wales Government, the Tweed River Bar is popular for its boating and commercial fishing activities.
Coastal bars are shallow, shifting sandbanks at the entrances to coastal rivers and estuaries, but authorities warn that they can have strong currents and large breaking waves.
NSW authorities say crossing coastal bars can be very dangerous, even in calm conditions, as the channels across the bars and waves can change frequently.
Investigations into the incident are continuing and a report will be prepared for the coroner.