Australian tourist killed and injured in Bali snorkelling boat capsize

Indonesia: A snorkelling boat carrying 15 people, including a number of Australian tourists, capsized in rough seas off Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on Friday, killing a Canberra woman and injuring two other Australians, police said.

The Sea Dragon 2 boat was on its way from a port in Bali to Nusa Penida, a popular tiny island near Bali, when it was overwhelmed by high waves, local police spokesperson Agus Widiono said.

The group’s boat was hit by a large wave about 8.30am (Bali time) that threw a 39-year-old woman, identified by officials as Anna Maree Blight, overboard in Kelingking waters. It was followed by a second wave that capsized the boat, Widiono said.

A nearby boat was rushed to rescue the survivors, including two local crew members and two injured tourists, from the choppy waters. Rescuers located the body of Blight, the spokesperson said. She was declared dead on arrival at hospital.

The police report identified the two injured tourists as 28-year-old man Gabriel Hijniakoff, from Brisbane, and Cintamani Warrington, 32, an Australian national living in Bali.

This masthead understands that Warrington suffered severe burns, presumed to be from the engine, to her thigh. Hijniakoff was being treated for less serious burns.

The two injured people were expected to be airlifted to a larger hospital in the provincial capital, Denpasar.

The Sea Dragon 2 left the popular Bali holiday destination of Sanur for Manta Point in Nusa Penida island with 11 foreign nationals, tour guides and boat crew. As they were travelling through the waters off Kelingking, the boat was hit by a large wave.

According to statements given to police, the captain attempted to avoid the wave and reduce speed, but a log knocked out the motor.

“It was raining a bit at the time of the accident – a bit of high winds and high waves,” Nusa Penida police chief Ida Bagus Putra Sumerta said.

“The accident happened when the boat was hit by a log – it caused the engine to stop. When the next wave hit, the captain couldn’t control the boat, and that’s when it capsized.

“The weather might have contributed to the accident, but we are still investigating.”

The boat company declined to comment.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who is reported to have died in Indonesia,” a department spokesperson said.

“We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time. The department is also providing consular assistance to two Australians who were injured in the same incident.”

Maritime accidents have killed hundreds of people in Indonesia in recent years. Boats are often overcrowded, and safety regulations are poorly enforced. The vast archipelago country with a population of 280 million spans more than 17,000 islands, and boats are a popular and relatively cheap form of transportation.

with AP

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