Councillors warn public to stay away from Isabella Falls, Cairns, after third death in two years

The third death at a Cairns waterfall in just two years has renewed talks about whether the unmaintained swimming spot should be open to the public. Have your say.

Division 1 Cr Brett Moller at the Isabella falls walking trail in Edmonton. Picture Emily Barker.

A Cairns councillor is lobbying for restricted access to a waterfall that’s been the location of three tragedies in just two years, but he’s stopped short of calling for a complete closure.

It comes after a 26-year-old Israeli tourist died at Isabella Falls on Sunday afternoon.

Police are still working to determine a clear cause of death, however bystanders pulled the man from the water and started CPR before emergency services arrived and declared the man deceased.

Only four months ago Earlville teen Christian Laska, 17, died after being injured at Isabella Falls, and in May 2022 a 19-year-old Manunda woman was killed at the waterway.

Division 1 Councillor Brett Moller said he called for council officers to conduct a safety audit of Isabella Falls after the December tragedy, which he hoped would be handed down in the coming months alongside a broader aquatic strategy that’s also under way.

Division 1 councillor Brett Moller at the Isabella Falls walking trail in Edmonton. Picture: Emily Barker.

“An immediate action I would like to see is how we can restrict access in that there is not the perception of a public invitation to visit this particular location, given the inherent dangers,” he said.

“It is a local spot, but with social media, it’s being identified more and more now.”

Mr Moller said the creek, which is accessed by a short path from a residential Edmonton street, was generally safe when people kept to the waterhole at the base of the falls.

“It’s only when you take that risk to climb up a very steep face of rocks together with thick scrub and roots (where there is significant danger),” he said.

“When you have that flowing creek and big granite boulders you get that very slippery green moss which contributes to a lot of the falls up there.”

On Friday, Cairns Regional Council closed access to the two upper falls of Crystal Cascades due to safety concerns over fast-flowing water – just weeks after a 20-year-old Japanese tourist died at the waterway.

A Cairns Regional Council sign on the Isabella Falls walking track in Edmonton has been graffitied with the words “if you be careful and stay safe there’s no danger”. Picture: Emily Barker.

Mr Moller said similar action would likely not be effective at Isabella Falls, which has multiple access points and is not a maintained recreational area unlike Crystal Cascades.

“There’s one particular entry point we will look at but because it’s a creek, it’s not practical (to close it), there’s multiple entry points to that creek,” he said.

“Fencing, as we found with Babinda Boulders … you can see the foot traffic going around and under the fencing.”

Mr Moller said council would comply with any recommendations made in a coroner’s report but in the meantime said he would support a wider educational campaign about the inherent dangers of waterfalls.

Division 2 councillor Matthew Tickner agreed that closure of the area would not be a silver bullet to preventing further tragedies.

“I don’t believe it’s an inherently dangerous spot when it’s being utilised in the lower section … it’s as soon as people go to climb the falls, and you can’t really stop people from going into nature,” the newly-elected councillor said.

Mr Tickner said it came down to education and prevention, pointing to the impact of new signage at Babinda Boulders as an example of what could be done at Isabella Falls.

But ultimately the safety audit needed to decide how much council should manage the unmaintained site, he said, and whether greater input would only draw more visitors to the creek.

A stark image on new warning signs at Babinda Boulders has been effective in preventing risky behaviour, according to councillors Brett Moller and Matthew Tickner. Picture: Cairns Regional Council

Another graphic image on new Babinda Boulders warning signs show how an underwater cave combined with strong currents present an extremely high risk of death at the shute section of the waterway. Picture: Cairns Regional Council

Inspector Brad Winks said on Monday police were still investigating the incident and could not yet confirm a clear cause of death.

“We did have some heavy rain yesterday in Cairns but the exact implications that had on this matter are unknown at this stage,” he said.

“It’s very unpredictable at the best of times.

“We don’t know exactly what his involvement was and how he ended up in the water.

Cairns Police Inspector Brad Winks provided an update on the death of a 26-year-old Israeli man at Isabella Falls on Sunday, April 7. Picture: Annabel Bowles

“He (was) in the water for some time and that’s obviously a significant contributing factor to his demise.”

Inspector Winks said police understood bystanders had pulled the man from the water and started CPR, which was taken over by emergency services upon their arrival.

Several people, also tourists, visiting the falls with the man were providing statements to officers.

The 26-year-old’s family in Israel had been contacted.

Cairns mayor Amy Eden said the tragedy served as a poignant reminder of the dangers of unfamiliar places.

“The impact of this loss is felt by the whole community; we love welcoming people to our area and this heartbreaking event deeply saddens us,” she said.

“We urge everyone to heed the warnings in place, as they are designed to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all who visit.”
Ms Eden said the aquatic review was assessing risks at all council owned and controlled waterways, including Isabella Falls.

She said the effectiveness of measures recently implemented at Babinda Boulders – including regular council officer visits, extra fences and better signage – would also guide improvements to other waterways.

Originally published as Councillors warn public to stay away from Isabella Falls, Cairns, after third death in two years