A man has been charged following investigations into a deadly boat capsize off the coast of northern NSW earlier this year.
The devastating incident unfolded just after 6am on March 12, when emergency services were called to the Yamba Breakwater after receiving reports that a vessel had flipped while attempting to cross the Yamba coastal bar.
It triggered a massive multi-agency rescue response involving Marine Rescue NSW, Surf Life Saving NSW, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, NSW Ambulance, and Police.
During the rescue efforts, the 52-year-old boat driver was pulled from the water and transported to Maclean District Hospital for mandatory testing and medical assessment.
Tragically, rescuers also retrieved two other passengers from nearby waters, a 52-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man, who could not be revived and died at the scene.
Following months of extensive inquiries, the surviving 52-year-old man has now been issued a Court Attendance Notice.
He is facing two counts of operating a recreational vessel negligently causing death or grievous bodily harm, and is due to face Maclean Local Court on October 15, 2026.
