An investigation is underway after a man and woman died when a boat capsized in the Northern Rivers region. The fatal incident unfolded just after 6am on Thursday morning when a vessel overturned at the Yamba Bar and there was an unknown number of people in the water.
A major search and rescue response was launched and a 52-year-old man was pulled from the water and taken to a local hospital. A short time later, a woman was pulled from the water by a member of the public and a second man was located by a rescue helicopter and recovered by authorities. The two people recovered from the water were not revived.
Emergency responders arrived promptly. The Yamba SLSC Emergency Call Out Team was tasked and launched an Inflatable Rescue Boat from the club, while a Surf Life Saving jet ski was also used. Despite immediate treatment at the scene, both victims could not be revived. They remain unidentified but are believed to be in their 50s.
The Yamba coastal bar, which marks the entrance to the Clarence River, has long posed hazards to mariners. The bar is known for its unpredictable conditions. Marine Rescue NSW Northern Rivers Inspector John Murray has seen first-hand how quickly conditions can turn dangerous on the region's coastal bars, and has urged local and visiting boaters to think twice before crossing. Boaters should stand off, check the conditions and decide whether it is safe to proceed, with crossings best made on a run-in tide because there are fewer compression waves.
The tragedy occurs against a backdrop of mounting coastal drowning deaths across NSW. Since 1 July 2025 there have been 45 coastal drownings in NSW, half of which were beach and rip related, and the past fortnight has been catastrophic on the coastline with these being the seventh and eighth drownings in under two weeks, according to Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce.
Marine Rescue NSW volunteers are rescue ready at any hour and encourage boaters to always seek advice from their local unit on the best options for going in or out and what navigation aids are available. For those planning to cross the Yamba bar or any other coastal bar, careful consideration of vessel suitability and understanding how to safely cross coastal bars is essential.
The incident raises familiar questions about risk assessment on Australia's waterways. The Yamba bar remains dangerous even under reasonable conditions. A boat attempting to cross when conditions deteriorate quickly becomes vulnerable. Training, preparation, and honest assessment of whether to proceed all come down to individual decision-making at the moment of departure. Where NSW's drowning figures are climbing, each decision carries weight.