A woman in her 70s has died after being thrown from a boat at Marion Bay in Tasmania’s south-east, with police describing the incident as a “freak accident”.
Three of four people on board a 4.5-metre fibreglass runabout were flung into the water after the vessel hit a wave or wash from another boat at Marion Narrows around 11:45am this morning.
A nearby boat rushed to help and pulled two men from the water, but a Tasmanian woman aged in her 70s could not be immediately found.
She was located deceased a short time later.
Police Commander Jason Elmer said the group were all known to each other and had been out on the water for the day.
“It’s a tragic accident it would appear,” Commander Elmer said.
“Three people have entered the water and unfortunately one is deceased.”
He said unlike police’s initial reports, the boat did not capsize but appeared to have “veered” suddenly, throwing three of its occupants overboard.
“We think they’ve either hit a wave or some chop from another boat and that has potentially caused their boat to veer to one side,” he said.
The two men rescued from the water were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover.
Commander Elmer said all people on board had been wearing personal flotation devices and appeared to have been following all safety requirements.
“There’s nothing to suggest that these people weren’t doing this,” he said. “This appears to be a freak accident where they’ve been thrown into the water.”
He said conditions at Marion Narrows were not believed to be particularly rough at the time, though the stretch of water can be hazardous.
“The Marion Narrows can be hazardous if you don’t know the area and in rough conditions. There’s nothing to say that that was the case today,” he said.
The boat has been seized and will be examined as part of the investigation.
It is the second boating tragedy in Tasmania in two days, after a 23-year-old French national died on the Hobart waterfront yesterday.
Commander Elmer described the incidents as “very different” but said both were devastating for the families involved.
A full report will be prepared for the coroner.
Commander Elmer thanked members of the public who came to assist, saying their efforts “may well have averted further tragedy”.
