Rescue teams are desperately searching a popular waterway for an unknown number of missing people after a horror collision between a catamaran and a tinnie left two other men injured.
Police responded to reports of a boating accident in Runaway Bay, a northern suburb of the Gold Coast, at around 4.45am on Friday.
A member of the public reported the incident after his 40ft catamaran was rammed by an out-of-control tinnie which had previously struck a canal marker on Broadwater near Southport.
Two men were treated by emergency workers, one aged 34 and the other 36, while the younger man was later put into an induced coma by paramedics.
The 36-year-old swam out of the water to Paradise Point before both men were assessed arm and leg injuries and transferred to Gold Coast University Hospital.
Emergency crews were called to the northern Gold Coast suburb of Runaway Bay after reports of a tinnie crash
When paramedics arrived, they found two men in their 30s injured. They were both rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital with arm and leg injuries.
Gold Coast Water Police Senior Sergeant Peter Venz said emergency services were actively searching for the missing men.
“One person, possibly three, was thrown into the water,” said Sergeant General Venz.
“A fourth person was seriously injured and found trapped in the boat in a position where he could no longer move.”
Rescuers found the man pinned to his chair and said he had suffered heavy blood loss.
The catamaran’s skipper, David Crossley, told the Courier Post that he and his wife were awakened by the sound of the tinnie hitting their boat, named Sea Pup.
He said the smaller boat “spinned like crazy” after the initial collision in the waterway and was now spinning in circles near his anchored boat.
“It crashed into the boat and I ran onto the deck and this thing keeps going around in circles,” Mr Crossley said.
‘It didn’t come back, it looked at the boat behind us. Then everything suddenly became quiet.’
Mr Crossley said he could hear a voice from the boat calling for help before he saw the 36-year-old injured man ‘crumpled’ on board the tinnie.
Mr Crossley was able to lower his dinghy into the water and reach the tinnie to switch off the engine before helping the injured man.
He dragged the tinnie 50 meters to shore on South Stradbroke Island before calling authorities to report the crash.
The tinnie initially collided with a canal marker before turning and hitting David Crossley’s 40ft catamaran (stock image)
Mr Crossley (pictured) rescued a 34-year-old man still on board the drifting tinnie before towing the boat 50 meters to South Stradbroke Island
Mr Crossley said the injured man had probably broken his arm and leg and ‘semi-conscious and severely concussed, repeating himself over and over again.’
The man was treated at the scene before being rushed to hospital and put into an induced coma.
Snr. Sergeant Venz said the investigation was ongoing and police were treating the event as a missing persons incident.
Mr Crossley said that before the 36-year-old was taken away by paramedics, he had asked about the three other people who were also believed to be on board the tinnie.
Rescuers are still searching for the two other men believed to be involved in the crash, who may still be somewhere on or around the waterway.
Their operation includes both emergency and civilian vehicles.
Families help park rangers search the South Stradbroke Island area and Resources have been sent from Brisbane to assist in the search for water.
Snr. Sergeant Venz has also asked boaties to keep an eye out for anything unusual.
“The Coast Guard and VMR are speaking on Channels 7, 3 and 16 warning all boats to be aware that we have a maritime incident with possible people in the water,” he said.
Rescue crews are still searching for two men they believe were on the tinnie but are still missing