Competitor killed in Murray River water ski competition
The Southern 80 competition was cancelled after the tragedy on Sunday. Photo: 10 News First
A man has died while competing in a major water skiing event on the Victoria-NSW border.
Emergency services were called to the Murray River near Perricoota Road, Moama, following reports a man had been seriously injured while skiing on the water at 10am on Sunday.
Ambulance Victoria paramedics found the man who had died at the scene.
NSW Police Chief Inspector Paul Huggett described the incident as an “absolute tragedy”.
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“It affects the whole community from emergency services, to the bloke that owns the fish and chip shops. This will affect the community for months to come … it’s an absolute tragedy,” he told reporters at the scene on Sunday.
The Southern 80 water ski race is held from February 9 to 11 on the Murray River from Torrumbarry Weir to Echuca, where there are more than 120 bends in the waterway.
On Sunday organisers posted on social media that the race had been cancelled “due to an incident”.
Moama Water Sports Club president Steve Shipp said the man, who was on a competing team, fell and could not be revived.
Racing was immediately suspended and has since been cancelled, he said in a statement released on Sunday afternoon.
“The club is co-operating with NSW Police and Transport for NSW – Maritime, in their investigation into the incident,” he said.
“As a ski racing family we are here to support the affected family and team members as well the wider ski racing community in this terribly sad time.”
Earlier, ambulance officers were called to the same event to treat a man in his 40s with leg injuries.
He was taken to Echuca Hospital in a stable condition.
The race attracts entrants from all over Australia, plus international competitors from New Zealand, Britain and the US, according to the event’s website.
In 2017, NSW driver David Morabito, 50, was pulled unconscious from the river and died after the ski boat he was driving flipped during the high-speed race.
In 2010, a 41-year-old Melbourne man died after he and another skier crashed during the event.
In 2006, a 38-year-old man from NSW was being towed tandem at high speed behind a boat while practising for the event on February 11 when he fell and suffered fatal head injuries.
-AAP
