NSW Surf Livesavers say it is unclear whether the occupants of a boat were wearing life jackets when the vessel capsized as it attempted to navigate the bar near the Moruya break wall the NSW South Coast on Saturday.
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A girl, aged 13, died after being pulled from the water after the accident.
“Our thoughts go out to the family and to the rescuers who were involved in this extremely challenging and confronting situation faced by all this morning,” SLSNSW CEO Steven Pearce said.
Emergency services including water police, paramedics, and the ambulance helicopter all raced to the scene where they were joined by local fishing boats and surf lifesavers.
Six people; two adults and four children were pulled from the water with one of the children understood to have suffered lower leg injuries.
During the rescue operation the responders were told that a young girl was unaccounted for.
Following a search she was located by lifesaving personnel and was brought aboard the IRB where CPR was carried out by lifesavers, but unfortunately all efforts to revive her were unsuccessful.
At the time of the incident conditions were challenging with a swell of up to two metres on the outgoing tide, SLNSW have said.