Abdulkeram Alnadawi: Bulli boat tragedy skipper revealed

The captain of a boat which capsized off the coast near Bulli last year has been revealed in court.

The captain of a boat that capsized off Bulli’s Waniora Point leaving a man dead and three others in hospital has been identified in Wollongong Local Court on Thursday, nearly five months after the tragic incident.

Abdulkeram Alnadawi was charged with negligent navigation causing death in January. The 37-year-old was absent from court during the brief mention where his lawyer had the matter adjourned until March 3.

The incident occurred on the morning of October 31 last year when the boat flipped, sending seven men, who were unable to swim, into the water.

Surfers and surf life savers were able to pull the group from the water, and with the assistance of an off-duty doctor and nurse, performed CPR on four of them. One of those men, aged 37, died at the scene.

The man who captained a boat that capsized off the Bulli coast, killing a man, has been revealed. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Simon Bullard

The three others, aged 39, 42 and 32, were revived and taken to hospital, each in a critical condition. All have since been released.

Alnadawi, who owned the boat, was treated for minor injuries and mandatory testing, which returned a negative result.

Two other men, aged 38 and 33, were also treated for minor injuries.

Strike Force Gwyyher was established by the Marine Area Command and Wollongong Police District to investigate the incident with witnesses telling officers the boat was close to the reef and being stuck by waves when it capsized.

One man died and three others had to be revived after the boat capsized. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Simon Bullard