Four injured in Kookaburra Queen paddlewheeler incident

A passenger fell through the floor of an iconic tourist boat and landed on another passenger in the toilet after a collision with an unknown object on the banks of the Brisbane River this afternoon.

THREE people have been injured in an incident on the iconic Brisbane paddlewheeler Kookaburra Queen this afternoon.

Queensland Ambulance Service were called to Eagle Street Pier at 2pm today after the boat collided with an unknown object on the banks of Brisbane River.

Inspector Adam Muir from Queensland Police said collision caused the floor of the middle deck to buckle and a person on the middle deck to fall 2m onto the lap of another person in the toilet below.

Damage to the Kookaburra Queen after the incident. Picture: Channel 9

“We’re not quite sure the exact details, however we’re investigating how the vessel came into collision with something along the bank,” Inspector Muir said.

He said the collision is believed to have happened around the bend of the river, downstream from the city past the Story Bridge, near Felons Brewing at Howard Smith Wharves.

“There is a fair bit of damage,” he said.

Kookaburra Queen after the incident. Picture: Thomas Morgan

The boat safely returned to Eagle Street Pier and three people were then taken to the Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital with minor injuries.

Spokeswoman for Kookaburra Cruises, Michelle, said the company was not willing to comment in the midst of an investigation by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

“We need to make some calls and find out what’s happening,” she said.

“We will be looking into this and making sure everybody is okay.

“We are very sorry this has happened.”

She vowed that the Kookaburra Queen would go on.

#BrisbaneCity - The Bicycle Response Team is at the scene of a watercraft incident which has occurred on the Brisbane River. At this stage four patients are being assessed at the Eagle Street Pier. pic.twitter.com/UAIuyrmS87

— Queensland Ambulance (@QldAmbulance) September 12, 2019

QAS Metro North senior operations supervisor Warren Painting said four passengers were injured in the incident.

“The passengers received a jolt. We’ve had some minor injuries to a 70 year old couple, a male and a female and a 30 year old female.”

The 30-year-old woman sustained a lower back injury, Mr Painting said.

The 70-year-old man has a sore knee while his wife had an abrasion from a fall.

At the back left of the paddlewheeler safety railing is missing from the outside decking.