The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has begun its investigation into a boat accident in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, which left several people in hospital with serious injuries.
Key points:
- Several agencies will be involved in the investigation
- There are 12 patients at Royal Perth Hospital
- Several others were taken to Broome Hospital on Friday
On Friday morning, 28 people were aboard the Falls Express tourist boat when it ran into trouble at Horizontal Falls, a popular tourist attraction about 250 miles northeast of Broome.
A dozen patients were transferred to Perth overnight before being transferred to Royal Perth Hospital, where they remain in stable condition.
Their ages range from forty to 70, and although none are in intensive care, nine of them remain in the hospital’s trauma ward.
Passengers were thrown into the crocodile-infested water amid high tides and treacherous currents. (Provided by: Richard Costin)
A major rescue mission was carried out to transport the injured out of the remote location after several passengers were thrown into crocodile-infested waters shortly after 7am on Friday.
The nearby Koolan Island was established as a temporary triage area after six planes, six doctors and six flight nurses were called in to deal with the emergency.
On Friday night at Jandakot Airport, several passengers were transported from the Royal Flying Doctor Service plane on bunks before being taken to a large ambulance.
Earlier on Friday, other people with less serious injuries, including some who were seen with visible bandages, were taken to Broome Hospital.
Some of the injured passengers were transported to Broome Hospital by RFDS on Friday following the incident. (ABC News)
On Saturday morning, a spokesman for the WA Country Health Service said two people remained in Broome Hospital in stable condition.
Multi-agency research
The waterfalls are about 100 km north of Derby. (ABC News)
Regional Police Commander Brad Sorrell said the investigation would involve a number of agencies, including WA police, Worksafe and national transport authorities.
“At the moment, the details of that incident are still under investigation and the relevant authorities have been referred to the scene and will be investigated,” he said.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is due to send two inspectors to the remote site on Saturday to begin their investigation.
Tour operator Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures is assisting authorities with their investigation into the incident. (ABC Kimberley: Taylor Thompson-Fuller)
AMSA has issued a ban notice for the Falls Express, which is operated by Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures.
These warnings are issued when the authority believes that any activity poses an immediate threat to the health and safety of any person.
“The activity cannot be restarted until the inspector is convinced that the appropriate measures have been taken to eliminate the threat,” AMSA said on its website.
In a statement on Friday, the tour operator said it was working with authorities and emergency services to handle the incident.
Horizontal Falls, a landmark tourist destination in the north, hosts regular jet boat excursions along the rapidly rising Kimberley Tides.
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Waterfalls are a natural phenomenon where 10 meters of water come out of two narrow chasms in Talbot Bay.
Named Garaangaddim by traditional owners, the waterfalls have been described by David Attenborough as “one of the greatest natural wonders in the world”.
The coastline is, however, treacherous with high tides, eddies and strong currents.
Posted 44 minutes ago 44 minutes ago, Saturday, May 28, 2022 at 1:53 AM, updated 3 minutes ago, 3 minutes ago, Saturday, May 28, 2022 at 2:34 AM