New Zealand authorities have been asked to help investigate a marine accident in which four people died off the Western Australian coast on Monday.
The four victims were killed when their cabin cruiser slammed into a New Zealand-registered 80 metre-long barge anchored off Carnarvon, 900km north of Perth.
Rescuers who helped recover the bodies were reported by Australian media to have said the dead may have mistaken the barge's lights for stars, moments before the tragedy.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) in New Zealand said the SeaTow tug crew left the barge anchored off Carnarvon while the tug went into port for supplies and minor repairs.
The New Zealand skipper and his four crew learnt while they were alongside in port that the barge had been hit by the cabin cruiser and four people had died.
Tim Burfoot, TAIC chief investigator of accidents, said the Australian Transport Safety Bureau had asked for New Zealand help with the because the tug and the barge were both New Zealand registered.
SeaTow Limited managing director in New Zealand Ian Coombridge said the barge was well lit at its anchor position about five kilometres off the coast.
It was empty and had been there for two or three days, sheltering from cyclones.
"It had a permit to anchor there. It had the required lighting on it. The harbour master knew it was there and all the local authorities knew it was there and gave a permit for it to be put there," he said.
"It is a shocking tragedy."
He said the New Zealand tug skipper and his crew were shocked and devastated by the accident.
The skipper was interviewed by Australian police yesterday.
"He just said 'the barge was where were told to put it and everything was in order on the barge'," Mr Coombridge said.
The victims were all reported to be Carnarvon residents and members of the sea rescue organisation which helped retrieve their bodies.
They were named as Norma Jean Stock, 77, her husband Frank Sydney Stock, 78, Asger Pedersen, 73, and Stanley Hugh Timlin, 69.
The seven-metre cabin cruiser hit the barge in the pitch black, said rescuers, despite anchor lights at either end of the barge.
Carnarvon Voluntary Sea Rescue president Ian Hornhardt said the victims may have thought the lights were stars or may have thought two vessels were anchored and tried to go between them.
- NZPA
