Detectives from the Marine Area Command are appealing for information following a fail-to-stop boating crash on Lake Macquarie earlier this year.
About 4am on Wednesday 16 October 2022, a vessel collided at speed with another vessel – that had two fishermen on board – just off Wangi Wangi Point.
When the vessel drove away; the voices of a man and a woman could be heard onboard.
Officers were notified, and the two fishermen, aged 36 and 41, were taken to the John Hunter Hospital with serious neck, spine, ribs and shoulder blade fractures as well as serious head lacerations. The men have since been discharged.
Officers from the Marine Area Command formed Strike Force Twelfth to investigate the crash.
The damaged fishermen’s boat was seized and forensically examined, with the results indicating that the other vessel was made of aluminium and had a blue coloured hull.
Subsequent inquiries revealed the vessel was towed by a white four-door utility, that drove along Cams Boulevard in Summerland Point, about 4.35am the same day of the incident.
As inquiries continue, detectives have released CCTV footage of a vehicle whose occupants may be able to assist with inquiries.
Marine Area Command Crime Manager, Detective Acting Inspector Mick O’Keefe said someone in the community may have the final piece of information that is key in assisting detectives with solving this case.
“Through traditional detective work, investigators have established that they are looking for a male and female who were in a white Toyota Hilux, towing a blue bottomed aluminium boat. We believe some children may have been on their boat at the time of the incident and we hope no one was injured like the fishermen were,” Det A/Insp O’Keefe said.
“This is an opportunity for those involved to turn themselves in to police, or expect a visit from detectives soon enough, it’s just a matter of time.
“If members of the public have any information which might assist detectives, I urge them to call Crime Stoppers or their local police station. Just like on the road, there are rules that need to be obeyed on the water to avoid reckless incidents like this.”
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
