NSW Police have announced a teenage boy will face court next month following an investigation into a fatal Jet Ski crash in Sydney’s south that killed his friend who was a passenger on the craft.
The boy – who was 14-years-old at the time – and his 15-year-old friend who was a passenger, crashed into a barge at high speed on dusk.
The rider survived but his passenger did not.
Despite their age restrictions they were reportedly not being supervised by a fully licenced adult, were travelling at dusk when Jet Skis are banned from doing so in NSW, and travelling at high speed even though the area they were passing through was a “go slow” zone.
The incident sparked outrage in the community and the family of the dead teenager called for a review into minimum age requirements for Jet Skis, and horsepower restrictions for novice riders.
As previously reported, about 6pm on Tuesday 22 July 2025, emergency services were called to the Georges Rivers at Tom Uglys Bridge, Sylvania, following reports of a serious incident in the vicinity.
Officers attached to Sutherland Shire Police Area Command were told a Jet Ski had crashed, leaving two people in the water.
A police officer and a paramedic braved the cold water and swam about 50 metres to rescue the boys.
The 15-year-old passenger died at the scene and the 14-year-old operator of the craft was rushed to Sydney Children’s Hospital with a severed arm.
A crime scene was established, and the NSW Police Marine Area Command commenced investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
A statement from NSW Police issued today said: “Following extensive inquiries, police today (Tuesday 9 June 2026), issued a boy – now aged 15 – with a Court Attendance Notice for one count of dangerous navigation occasioning death, and one count of operate recreational vessel negligently causing death.”
He is due to appear before a Children’s Court on Wednesday 22 July 2026.
Above: NSW Police conduct a routine random breath test for alcohol.
As previously reported, in an exclusive interview with Radio 2GB’s Mark Levy in October 2025, the mother of the 15-year-old boy who died in the crash made an emotional plea for Jet Ski laws to change before other young riders are killed or seriously injured.
“We really want to get behind policy change. We understand that if everyone, including kids, are doing the right thing, then no-one will get hurt,” she said.
“But when you put (a Jet Ski) in the hands of a 12- to 15-year-old, it’s … a lot of responsibility.
Above: Waterway authorities in Victoria use laser guns to detect excessive speed in ‘go-slow’ zones.
“These Jet Skis go up over 100kmh. We don’t let … young teens drive motorbikes on our roads because they’re too young.
“They’re also not allowed to drive cars with certain (high-powered) engines … because they’ve got certain restrictions.”
Above: NSW Police and NSW Maritime have large on-water enforcement teams and can issue fines for speeding and other dangerous offences.
Radio 2GB host Mark Levy noted in the interview:
“The point we’re trying to make is that the vast majority of (Jet Ski riders) do the right thing, but we need to punish those who do the wrong thing and make sure there’s a deterrent … that if you do the wrong thing, you will be punished.”
According to research by Watercraft Zone, the latest death brings the total to four Jet Ski fatalities over the past five years in NSW (versus at least 87 boating fatalities over the same period).
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