Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Two men dead in Qld boat crash
Two men in a catamaran have died in a suspected high-speed crash in waters off central Queensland.
September 14, 2019
Two men have been found dead in a catamaran off Queensland, with early indications they crashed after hitting an object at speed.
A 39-year-old man from Emerald and a 59-year-old man from the Mackay area were found inside their six-metre aluminum powerboat late on Friday night.
A passing vessel spotted the boat drifting near the mouth of Island Head Creek at Shoalwater, off central Queensland, a police spokesman said.
Initial investigations suggest the boat hit an object in the water at speed, causing a significant amount of damage to its bow sections.
It is thought the men were killed in the impact, however, the exact cause of their deaths is yet to be confirmed.
Police say conditions in the ocean were calm and it is not known what the boat hit, however, the area is “characterised by lots of small, rocky islands and lots of submerged objects”.