Strong winds flipped several small boats on Hobart’s River Derwent forcing a large rescue and sending dozens of young sailors into the water.
Tasmania Police said at least eight boats capsized during a youth sailing event linked to the Bellerive Regatta on Sunday afternoon. The race was on the river when a strong gust hit just after 1pm.
Police said 54 young people aged 10 to 18 were taking part and 25 ended up in the water as boats tipped over in rough conditions. All were wearing lifejackets.
The Bureau of Meteorology recorded wind gusts of up to 95km/h in Hobart around the time of the incident. Police were told about it at about 1.22pm.
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Rescuers acted quickly with police boats on the water and two helicopters helping from above. Sailing club safety crews and people nearby also helped, bringing young sailors to shore and recovering boats.
Some participants swam to land while rescue boats picked up others. Police said everyone was accounted for by mid afternoon.
Tasmania Police said that “All participants have been accounted for and no injuries were reported.”
Officials said they abandoned the race as conditions got worse and the rescue focus shifted to getting every sailor safely off the water.
Police also used nearby facilities as a base while crews searched for anyone still missing.
The incident is likely to raise questions for organisers about how quickly conditions changed and what can be done to reduce risk during junior events when strong winds arrive suddenly.
