‘Dangerous’: Aussie lifts lid on Bali tour that claimed the life of Canberra woman

A Melbourne woman who was on the same Bali boat tour a day before it claimed the life of a fellow Australian has revealed shocking details.

A Victorian woman has lashed out at a Bali boat tour for lack of safety measures after the vessel capsized and claimed the life of a fellow Australian.

Stephanie, 27, a nurse from Melbourne, told the Herald Sun she and her partner had been on the same tour the day before the fatal trip and was shocked to learn the tour went ahead the following day as weather conditions were dire.

The Sea Dragon 2 boat with 13 people on board including 11 Australians capsized in rough waters near Denpasar at around 8.30pm local time on Friday.

Anna Maree, 39, who was originally from Canberra and resided in Melbourne, died during the snorkelling trip.

An initial wave threw Ms Maree overboard. A second wave then tipped over the entire boat.

Nearby vessels came to help those in the water, and Ms Maree was rushed to hospital but died shortly after.

Survivors seen sitting on the hull of a capsized boat, as they wait to be rescued after the snorkelling boat was hit by waves in Nusa Penida, Bali. Picture: Klungkung District Police

An image from the scene shows what appears to be tourists sitting on the upturned hull.

Brisbane man Gabriel Hijniakoff, 29, from Brisbane, and 32-year-old Cintamani ‘Tam’ Warrington, an Australian national living in Bali, suffered burn injuries.

Stephanie, who was on the same tour the day before, said no life jackets were offered to those on board, nor was there a pre-trip safety demonstration for the daylong tour.

Canberra woman Anna Blight, who lived in Melbourne, was killed in the boating incident on Friday. Picture: Supplied

“When we reached the snorkelling spots, they showed us where to go but then pointed a couple of metres away and warned us that it was extremely dangerous for us to swim there,” Stephanie told the Herald Sun.

She said they snorkelled in some pretty strong currents and waves, often just metres away from rocks or cliff faces.

“There were absolutely no safety procedures, other than ‘follow them’.”

The 29-year-old was rattled when hearing about Ms Maree’s death a day later, saying it made her feel “uneasy”.

Brisbane man Gabriel Hijniakoff and his partner, Cintamani Warrington, suffered burns during the incident. Picture: GoFundMe

She told the publication it was pouring down with rain the night before the tragedy, adding she was surprised the boat went out.

Ms Maree had just celebrated her 39th birthday two days before her tragic death. She was rushed to Sanglah Hospital but was pronounced dead a short time later.

She was living in Melbourne where she worked as a director at a finance firm.

Meanwhile, Mr Hijniakoff and Ms Warrington (Tam), who suffered burns in the accident, are currently in hospital following extensive surgery.

The boat was carrying 13 people including 11 Australians. Picture: Klungkung District Police

“The latest update is they are both in a stable condition through pain management and are awaiting emergency passports to be processed in order to have flights organised for transfers to Australia,” Mr Hijniakoff’s sister Olivia said in a Facebook post.

“Tam had surgery yesterday which was to clean and assess wounds, she is currently being managed through pain medication heavily to ensure she is as comfortable as possible until the next stage of action, she is communicative and while she does require urgent medical attention and management for her physical injuries she is stable.”

The pair are awaiting medical clearance to be discharged and flown home to Australia where they will continue to need monitoring in hospital, according to Olivia.

“While travel insurance covers a portion of medical bills and transfers home, the real heartache and efforts resume,” Olivia said.

“Due to the severity of injuries, Tam unfortunately is in a state where she cannot walk more than a few steps, we are unsure of what this will look like long term and as we try to support her before her return to work. There has been multiple conversations surrounding what treatment may look like, however with the cost of living, cost of specialist appointments, loss of income, outpatient appointments and psychological support etc we are hoping to alleviate as much financial pressure as possible to ensure they can focus on recovering and healing.”

As such, Olivia has started a GoFundMe with more than 21,700 already raised to assist with medical costs.

She said while the couple aren’t ready to tell their story, “the gravity of the situation that unfolded haunts them”.