Man Dies and 14-Year-Old Boy Remains Missing After Boast Capsizes in ‘Tragic’ Accident amid Poor Weather Conditions

A man has died and a teenage boy remains missing after a boat capsized off Palm Beach in Sydney, Australia.

The New South Wales Police Force said in a press release that emergency services were called to the area near Barrenjoey Headland at about 11:35 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 30, following reports that a vessel had overturned.

Surf Life Saving members pulled a man from the water and paramedics from NSW Ambulance attempted treatment, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said the man has not yet been formally identified.

Police added that a second man managed to climb onto nearby rocks and was later rescued by the Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter. He is currently being treated by paramedics.

A major search operation is now underway for a teenage boy believed to have been a passenger on the boat. The effort involves Marine Area Command, PolAir, Marine Rescue NSW, and Surf Life Saving teams.

The missing teen is reported to be 14 years old, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

“Surf Life Saving has a number of assets out on the water, including jet skis,” Rod McGibbon, president of NSW Surf Life Saving Northern Beaches, told the outlet, noting that conditions at the time were challenging.

“Conditions are not great, there’s quite a large swell coming in and a bit of wind as well, which would have undoubtedly contributed to the incident with the boat,” McGibbon said.

Rescue crews have also been hampered by poor visibility in the water, ABC reported.

Acting Inspector Nicole Turner of the Northern Beaches Police Area Command described the incident as “tragic” and confirmed that search efforts would continue into the evening.

“We wouldn’t want to see this happen on any day, but particularly during the Christmas and New Year period,” McGibbon added. “People are enjoying time with their family, and you don’t want to see something like this happen.”