Horizontal Falls: Falls Express boat ‘likely hit rock wall’ but did ‘not capsize, throw passengers in water’

Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) investigators probing Friday’s Horizontal Falls boat accident have confirmed no passengers were thrown into the water and that the vessel did not capsize. The AMSA investigators now believe that the accident occurred when the boat struck a rock wall. On Friday morning the Falls Express - operated by Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures - was conducting a tour of the natural wonder in Talbot Bay, about 250km north-east of Broome, when it ran into trouble, injuring 26 passengers and two crew on board. The horror incident triggered a massive rescue operation from health and emergency services and sent shockwaves through the tourist community holidaying in Broome. The incident prompted a major investigation by AMSA who sent a team of three people to the scene to investigate how and why the accident occurred. Two AMSA marine inspectors and an investigator have since completed an inspection of the location where the incident occurred and the vessel involved in the incident. They have also interviewed company personnel onsite. “At this stage of the investigation, AMSA can confirm that the vessel did not capsize, no people fell in the water and appears to have collided with a rock wall,” the agency said in a statement on Tuesday. “AMSA has issued a prohibition notice to the domestic commercial vessel and a direction notice to prevent the operator using any other vessel to transit the Horizontal Falls pending the outcome of the investigation. “AMSA have also issued an emergency suspension of the master’s Certificate of Competency. “As the investigation is ongoing no more details will be disclosed at this time. “The findings of the investigation will be released in due course.” On Saturday the company at the centre of the boating incident stressed the vessel didn’t capsize and no passengers were thrown into the turbulent water. At least 13 people from the boat were sent to RPH due to the nature of their injuries. Twelve people — seven women and five men — were flown to Perth on Friday night on three flights before being taken to Royal Perth Hospital for treatment. They are aged between 46 and 70. Numerous other people from the boat were taken to Broome Hospital. On Sunday Royal Perth Hospital’s head of general surgery, Dieter Weber, said many of the injured had been through multiple departments including orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery, trauma surgery and radiology. “This has been a large collaborative effort,” he said. “The patients came to us with a number of injuries, particularly injuries such as broken bones, (so from) various muscular-skeletal injuries, ligament injuries, to limbs.”