Four Killed In Boat Collision

Four people, one of them a child, were killed and three seriously injured when two pleasure craft collided near the mouth of the Brisbane River yesterday. Police last night confirmed that two men, a woman and an eight-year-old child died when the craft crashed two kilometres from the mouth of the river on Moreton Bay about 4.40pm. One of the boats sank immediately, while the other was badly damaged. Inspector Ross Martin of Queensland police said all four people killed and another who was seriously injured were on board one boat. On the other vessel, seven passengers received minor injuries - including a fractured arm - and two were critically injured. The 17-year-old male skipper was not hurt. Police said the skipper was licensed to steer the boat and breath testing had not indicated the presence of alcohol in his system.A victim receives medical help directly after the accident.Inspector Martin said the cause of the accident was not known. "The Water Police and the forensic crash unit will conduct investigations into the cause. They'll interview the surviving people but that'll be handled, I'd say, from tomorrow," he said. It was unclear whether the accident was linked to the Brisbane Riverfestival, which was scheduled to include the Riverfire fireworks display on Brisbane River last night. "I can't confirm whether or not there's any connection with Riverfire, because this incident occurred two nautical miles east of the river mouth," Inspector Martin said. Television footage showed children being unloaded from a vessel at Kirra Street, Pinkenba, and receiving medical treatment. A Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said the injured were taken by air and road ambulances to the Royal Brisbane Hospital. RAAF F-111 jets were one of the main spectacles of the festival.