Four plucked from water as boat overturns on Yamba bar

*SEE PICTURE* Incident occurs as danger of water highlighted in a tragic day for coastal areas across state

A Marine Rescue NSW boat. Photo: Marine Rescue NSW.

FOUR people have been rescued from the Clarence River bar near Yamba after their vessel capsized and threw them into the water yesterday afternoon.

Reports from Marine Rescue NSW state that rescue vessel Iluka Yamba 30 was called to the bar just before 4pm on reports a vessel had overturned.

A boat which capsized and sank while trying to cross the Clarence River bar at Yamba. Photo: Marine Rescue NSW.

Other vessels also headed to the site of the incident, one of them able to pull the four people from the water, and return them safely to shore.

The Marine Rescue boat stayed to locate the submerged vessel, and made attempts to pull it from the water.

The incident came on a day of danger and tragedy in the state, with a hazardous surf warning for Byron and Coffs Harbour yesterday with swell primarily coming from the south.

Further south on the coast, a teenage boy was caught in a rip and drown at Diamond Beach near Forster.

The 17-year-old boy was swimming with members of his family when he got into trouble. A family member entered the surf in an attempt to save the boy but quickly got into trouble himself and was unable to render assistance. He was later hospitalised, requiring treatment for water inhalation.

Police officers on the scene pulled the boy from the water before performing CPR. Paramedics arrived and continued CPR but were unable to revive the boy.

Steven Pearce, CEO of Surf Life Saving NSW, said that it was a tragic start to the school holidays.

“This is a heartbreaking incident, and our thoughts are with the boy’s family at this time,” said Steven Pearce.

Earlier this week, a young fisherman died in his boat in a similar area offshore in the Crowdy Bay National Park.

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