Security cameras captured the moment a boat dramatically capsized due to strong waves, leaving one man dead and another injured who needed to be rescued.
The two men were crossing the Tweed Bar River near Tweed Heads in northern New South Wales at 6am on 13 July when their 6.5-metre-long boat was swept away.
The boat can be seen in the footage with its headlight on as it rides through a wave before a second wave tosses it into the air just off Duranbah Beach.
The ship immediately sank underwater and crashed back into the water.
Emergency crews launched a rescue operation involving several bodies, including local and maritime police, a rescue helicopter and lifeguards.
A 58-year-old man was pulled out of the water by a trio of bathers on a jet ski who then took him to A maritime rescue ship.
He was taken to Tweed Heads Hospital for preventive checks.
A second man, aged 56, was pulled from the ocean by the rescue helicopter but could not be revived. He has not yet been identified.
NSW Police are still investigating what went wrong, but a spokesman said “initial investigations indicate neither man was wearing a life jacket” at the time.
Security camera footage captured the moment a boat capsized near Tweed Heads in northern New South Wales at 6am on July 13.
Rescuers pulled a 56-year-old man from the water, but he could not be resuscitated. Another 58-year-old man was rushed to a nearby hospital.
The men had launched the boat from the Kennedy Drive boat ramp and were heading across the bar when the boat capsized.
The wreckage later washed ashore as rescue crews treated the men on board.
Detective Sergeant Donna Tutt thanked everyone who helped in the “combined rescue effort”.
“They did a wonderful job under difficult circumstances,” he said. He told 7News.
Detective Sergeant Tutt added that It was ‘very important’ that people understood the importance of life jackets at sea.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Initial police investigations indicate that neither of the two were wearing life jackets 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.