SYDNEY—Brushing aside warnings about overcrowding, 14 young people in a party mood—equipped with a case of beer—piled aboard a runabout for an early morning "joyride" on Sydney Harbour.
Little more than an hour later, five of them were dead and nine more were injured, after an horrific collision with a fishing boat brought their night of celebration to a tragic end.
Tonight the death toll appeared likely to rise to six, with a critically injured man not expected to survive severe head injuries.
The 23-foot half-cabin boat, overloaded and taken without the owner's permission, came off worst in the terrible collision with Peter Evans' lobster boat in night-time darkness.
Witnesses said the happy group had boarded the ex-navy dive boat—licensed to carry only eight people—at Balmain's Darling Street wharf some time around 1.30am (AEST).
They were not authorised to have the boat, but one of the party knew where its owners, Goat Island's Sydney Ship Repair and Engineering, kept the keys to the vessel.
"It appears that somebody has decided that they are going to take our boat for a joyride and this horrible event has happened," the company's managing director John McPherson said.
Russell Lea resident Andre Ogle was fishing when the runabout was steered up to Balmain wharf by a man who introduced himself as Matt, and who said he was a Goat Island contractor due home in Tweed Heads within weeks.
They were there to pick up friends who it's believed had spent the night celebrating at Balmain's Commercial Hotel.
The group boarded with a case of beer, seemingly headed for a party across the harbour.
Mr Ogle said they were in a "great" mood, apparently oblivious to danger.
"It was an overloaded boat that could easily get into trouble," Mr Ogle said.
"Everyone on the wharf was concerned, we all commented (to them) again and again."
But he said the passengers, who had offered them beers, just responded by saying: "We'll be right."
"They took their beer and their good mood and hopped on the boat and headed off down towards the harbour bridge."
It was at Bradleys Head, east of the harbour bridge, where the two vessels collided at 2.40am (AEST).
One man and four women—all aged in their late teens and early 20s—failed to survive the impact with the fishing boat Jordon.
A 30-year-old man who suffered a "very, very severe brain injury" was tonight not expected to survive, said the Royal North Shore Hospital's (RNSH) head of intensive care, Dr Ray Raper.
Six other men aged 19, 21, 22, 24, 30 and 31 were discharged from RNSH throughout the day, while a 31-year-old man with spinal injuries was tonight in a serious but stable condition in intensive care.
The condition of an 18-year-old girl with spinal injuries remained serious but stable, Dr Raper said.
The group are believed to have been marking a change of ownership at Balmain's Commercial Hotel before setting out on the boat, bound for a party at Watsons Bay.
The dead included a US citizen, a barman from Surry Hills' Clock Hotel named Alex, and a bartender named Stacey, who worked nights at Balmain's Unity Hotel.
Two "heroic" fishermen near the crash site immediately went to assist the boats, and all the injured were assembled and triaged at Taronga Zoo's Athol Wharf before being taken to RNSH.
Neither man aboard Jordon was injured, and skipper Mr Evans said he was cooperating with police over the "profoundly sad event".
"I am devastated and still badly shaken by the events this morning," Mr Evans said in a statement.
Police set up Task Force Condor to investigate the crash, and said alcohol and speed would be among the factors investigated.
Premier Morris Iemma promised a thorough investigation.
Assistant Commissioner Peter Parsons said six of the survivors had been interviewed by police and there had been initial discussions with the 31-year-old man and 18-year-old girl in RNSH.
"Part of the investigation will no doubt be looking at the speed aspect and also other issues in relation to who was driving this thing at the time, the degree of sobriety or any other factor," he said.
"There's a lot of questions unanswered but my people are on to it very intensely at the moment."
The accident comes just over a year after four people were killed when a boat and ferry collided under the harbour bridge.
In a report released five weeks ago, an inquiry into that crash made 16 recommendations to improve safety on the harbour.
Maritime NSW said a number of recommendations had already been implemented and the rest were being reviewed.
Mr Iemma said it was too early to talk about whether more harbour safety measures were needed.
He said police patrols of the busy waterway had already been increased, and there were also speed restrictions and conditions on boat licences and lighting.
Water police were en route to a rescue training mission when they received reports of the incident, Mr Iemma said.
"It's a shocking, gut-wrenching and heartbreaking tragedy," he said.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd added: "It's just terrible news, and for the parents of those who have lost their lives this is just a terrible, terrible day. Just terrible."
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