The tourist boat involved in the crash at Horizontal Falls in Western Australia last week “did not capsize”, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
The finding came after government authorities inspected the ship involved and the scene of the crash, as part of an ongoing multi-agency investigation.
“At this stage of the investigation, AMSA can confirm that the ship did not capsize, that no people fell into the water and appear to have collided with a rock wall,” a spokesman said.
The tourist boat involved in the crash at Horizontal Falls in Western Australia last week “did not capsize”, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). (Google Maps)
As part of the investigation, the authority also interviewed on-site staff of the tour operator’s company.
Twenty-six tourists and two crew members were on board during the incident at 7 a.m. Friday.
Police said in a press conference on Friday that “some people did find themselves in the water.”
Officers also praised the efforts of tour operators to get patients back on the pontoons.
However, in a statement, the operator Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures said the ship did not capsize and immediately returned to the pontoon.
AMSA said it has issued a ban notice to the national commercial vessel and a steering warning to prevent the operator from using any other vessel to travel through the horizontal waterfalls pending the outcome of the investigation.
“AMSA has also issued an emergency suspension of the Master’s Certificate of Competence,” a spokesman said.
The spokesman said that “as the investigation is ongoing no further details will be revealed at this time.”
“The findings of the investigation will be made public in due course,” they said.