Three people have died off Australia’s New South Wales north coast after a yacht sank and a rescue boat capsized during an evening response near the town of Ballina.
Emergency services were called at about 6:15pm on Monday (4 May 2026) after a member of the public reported a yacht in trouble near the breakwall at South Ballina, close to the Queensland border. A six-person Marine Rescue NSW crew launched to assist, but their vessel rolled while crossing the Ballina Bar in heavy seas.
Two of the volunteers on board the rescue boat died. They were later identified as Ballina locals William (Bill) Ewen, 74, and Frank Petsch, 62.
Four other crew members made it to shore and were taken to hospital with injuries described as minor or non-life-threatening. They were aged 55, 75 and two aged 61. Ballina’s 2026 Citizen of the Year, Geoff Hutchinson, was reported to have been seriously injured.
The body of a third man, solo sailor Matthew Clayton, 54, believed to have been the yacht’s operator, was found nearby. NSW Police Marine Area Command Superintendent Joe McNulty told local media he was not wearing a lifejacket when recovered, and at no point had his vessel made any distress calls or activated its built-in emergency position indicating radio beacon, both of which are mandatory on all seafaring vessels in NSW.
McNulty said conditions were severe, with a 2.5-metre swell and strong winds creating dangerous waves at the river entrance. He said some of the crew were ejected from the rescue vessel while others became trapped in the hull.
“We need to remember and reflect on the heroic actions of this crew overnight,” McNulty told the BBC.
“These people do a fantastic job; volunteers in the community and putting their lives at risk to go and save another vessel that was stricken and in danger. These men are heroes.”
McNulty said the crew had set out on a “fit for purpose” Ballina 30 rescue vessel, which was “specifically designed within NSW for our conditions”.
“It is a very well-built locally procured vessel. They undertake a lot of training in doing bar crossings,” he said.
Police said the yacht struck the breakwall, broke apart and later sank. The search was suspended early on Tuesday (5 May 2026) after everyone was accounted for, and police did not believe anyone else had been on board.
Divers may return later in the week to recover evidence as part of an investigation into how the yacht came to be so close to the breakwall. McNulty said the investigation is at an early stage.
Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Todd Andrews said the deaths highlighted the risks faced by volunteers.
“These two men were serving their local community and have made the ultimate sacrifice to help others,” he said to local media on Tuesday.
A Marine Rescue NSW spokesperson said: “It has been a terrible night for Marine Rescue NSW and our focus right now is supporting the families of those affected and our volunteers.”
Volunteers and families are being supported through counselling and chaplaincy services. Neighbouring Marine Rescue NSW units will help cover on-water operations in the coming days, while the Marine Rescue Port Macquarie radio hub will manage communications for the area.
NSW Premier Chris Minns paid tribute to the volunteers. “Emergency service workers do an incredible job to keep us safe in difficult circumstances,” he said.
“I want to pay tribute to their heroism, their sense of courage, their public-mindedness, and let them know that the people of NSW are in their corner today.”
Emergency services minister Jihad Dib also expressed condolences. “Our emergency services are the first to rush to the rescue of people in danger, and last night two of our courageous volunteers made the ultimate sacrifice,” he said on Tuesday. “In difficult and dark conditions, additional emergency services then raced to their assistance. Sadly, the mariner on board the yacht has also lost their life, and we offer our condolences to their family.”
Police said multiple assets were involved in the response, including a rescue helicopter which recovered one of the volunteer’s bodies. Speaking to 9News, local resident Margie Fitzgerald said the incident would be widely felt in Ballina.
“It affects the community when something like that happens, especially when a rescuer is lost, and those people risk their lives to go and help other people in difficulty,” she said.
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