Broome Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man after a marine incident this morning, Monday 7 September 2020, at a mooring at Gantheaume Point, just off Broome.
About 12:45am four men, all believed to be aged in their 70s, were on board a vessel at the mooring when they commenced making marine radio calls to alert authorities that their vessel had started to take on water.
The Water Police Coordination Centre intercepted the radio calls and contacted the crew, however lost communication with them. It is believed the situation escalated to the point where the vessel began to sink and the men were unable to access their tender that was tethered to the moored vessel, and they attempted to swim to a nearby vessel.
Tragically, only three of the men survived. The fourth man was unable to make it to the other vessel and was later located deceased by volunteers from Marine Rescue Broome, who had deployed two rescue vessels to the location.
A Broome-based search helicopter which had been activated by AMSA's Rescue Coordination Centre in Canberra was stood down.
Broome Police attended the scene and recovered the deceased man from the water. The three survivors were taken to Broome Hospital as a precaution.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
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