The company involved in Friday’s Horizontal Falls navigation test insists its boat did not capsize, rejecting claims by police and witnesses that the passengers were thrown into the water.
Investigators are looking for answers as a 13-year-old patient, a 49-year-old woman suffering from suspected spinal or back injury, arrives tonight at Royal Perth Hospital from Broome.
The other 12 patients will spend a second night at Royal Perth Hospital to be treated for their injuries and all are in stable condition. Three Royal Flying Doctor Service planes carrying seriously injured passengers landed from Koolan Island in northern Western Australia. (9 News)
Nine of these patients are currently being cared for in the hospital’s trauma unit.
Under the darkness of Friday night, the Jandakot airstrip turned into a makeshift emergency room as a dozen seriously injured tourists moved to Perth.
Three Royal Flying Doctor Service planes carrying seriously injured passengers landed from Koolan Island, North Western Australia.
The first person left the plane around 8pm last night, but many others were taken off the tarmac.
The bunks were loaded into a large shuttle ambulance and the last patients arrived at 2am.
Seven women and five men between the ages of 46 and 70 were taken to hospital for specialist care.
Under the darkness, the Jandakot airstrip became a makeshift emergency room. (9 News)
With the mammoth rescue mission completed – with the help of six planes, six doctors and six flight nurses – the focus is now on how the adventure went wrong.
Two Australian Maritime Safety Authority maritime inspectors arrived in Broome this afternoon and went straight to the remote site of the Friday morning incident.
They will be assisted by Kimberley Detectives and Worksafe.
9News understands that the experienced pattern hit rocks.
“Some people were found in the water and some people are injured,” said Commander Brad Sorrell.
However, in a statement, the operator Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures said the ship did not capsize and immediately returned to the pontoon.
Most of the patients who were transferred to Broome Hospital were discharged overnight.
Two people remain in a stable condition with minor injuries.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has issued a management notice to the operator prohibiting them from using the vessel involved in Friday’s incident or any other vessel to travel through the Horizontal Falls pending the outcome of the research.