Girls die in water park boat tragedy

TWO teenage girls are dead and a 12-year-old girl is in a critical condition in hospital after an horrific boating accident in Queensland yesterday.

boat tragedy

TWO teenage girls are dead and a 12-year-old girl is in a critical condition in hospital after an horrific boating accident at a water park in Goondiwindi in southern Queensland yesterday.

Paris Wilson, 16, her sister Dodie, 12, and a 16-year-old American exchange student were riding an inflatable "biscuit" tube at Goondiwindi Natural Heritage and Water Park about 3pm when the tube swung out on a turn, flinging the girls up the bank, where they slammed into a tree.

The boat was being driven by Bianca Wilson, 17 - Paris and Dodie's older sister.

Sandy Wilson, the girls' mother, who gave permission for her daughters to be named, described the accident as a tragedy.

"There was perhaps a small judgment error with the boat turning point. The girls were flung up the bank of the water park," Ms Wilson said.

"It was just a tragic accident. Something went wrong and, as a result, one of my children is deceased and another is in a critical condition in hospital."

Ms Wilson said Paris and the American girl had died "pretty much on impact".

Dodie was in a critical condition at Mater Children's hospital in Brisbane with severe head injuries and fractured ribs.

Ms Wilson said her daughters were on holiday from St Hilda's Anglican school on the Gold Coast, and the American girl was on exchange from St Paul's School for Girls in Baltimore, Maryland.

The principal of St Hilda's school is understood to have spoken to the parents of the American girl, but Ms Wilson requested that she not be named. "The worst part about it for me is I'm going to have to face the parents . . . in America," she said.

Ms Wilson described the girls as "striking teenagers" and said they were having the "time of their lives" before the accident happened.

She said Bianca held a full speedboat licence.

Ms Wilson said she and her family were still in the early stages of grief, but she wanted to tell her story for the benefit of other parents and children.

Her family and friends were grieving at home when The Australian reached them last night.

Other Goondiwindi residents described the Wilsons as a well-known and well-liked farming family who had lived in the area a long time.

"They are in all the local social events around town," said one resident, who asked not to be named. "Everyone knows their kids."

Another resident said the Wilsons were well known for their support of local sports teams.

Goondiwindi Mayor Graeme Scheu told Brisbane's Courier-Mail the local water park was a popular spot. "This is the first of this kind of tragedy."

Local resident Haley Chapman, 21, told the Mail she used the park often and it was not a bad place to go boating.

"It is a bit narrow, though," she said.

Other Goondiwindi residents told The Australian the community was shocked and devastated, and was still coming to terms with the loss.

A spokeswoman for Queensland police said investigations were continuing.