One man has died and another has been rescued after their boat capsized while crossing a stretch of coastline in northern New South Wales.
At approximately 6am on Saturday morning, two people were seen clinging to the upturned hull of a 6.5 metre boat near the north wall of the Tweed River Bar.
Emergency services launched a rescue operation with several people, including local police, the navy, a rescue helicopter and rescue workers.
One man was pulled from the water and taken to Tweed Heads Hospital as a precaution.
A second man was lifted from the ocean by a rescue helicopter and taken to nearby Duranbah Beach, but could not be resuscitated.
He has not yet been officially identified.
The men launched the boat from the Kennedy Drive boat ramp and were sailing across the sandbar when the boat capsized.
“Initial investigation indicates that neither man was wearing a life jacket,” a New South Wales Police spokesman said.
One man has died and another has been rescued after a boating accident near Tweed Heads (pictured: the men’s boat after it was pulled ashore)
According to police, the men were trying to cross the Tweed River Bar when the boat capsized.
According to the New South Wales Government, the Tweed River Bar is popular for its boating opportunities and commercial fishing.
Coastal banks are shallow, shifting sandbanks at the entrances to rivers and estuaries. Authorities warn that strong currents and large, breaking waves can occur.
According to New South Wales authorities, crossing coastal strips can be very dangerous, even in calm weather, as the channels through the strips and the waves can change constantly.
The investigation into the incident continues and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
