By Deborah Cornwall, Paul Chamberlin and Julie Lewis

January 8, 2020 — 12.00am

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First published in the Sydney Morning Herald on January 9, 1990

RESCUERS PLUCK 46 FROM WATER

Five children, aged from six months to seven years, drowned last night when a pleasure craft carrying 51 holidaymakers capsized in the middle of Port Stephens.

Four of the dead children were trapped in the cabin of the 11-metre cruiser N'g-Luka when it overturned in overcast conditions.

The N'Gluka, towed to Soldier's Point after the accident.Credit:Peter Rae

A Maritime Services Board spokesman said last night a maximum of 25 people would have been allowed on a commercial boat of the same size. The N'g-Luka was registered as a pleasure boat, which meant it was not confined by regulations which apply to commercial vessels.

The MSB will be carrying out its own inquiry into the accident, in addition to the usual coronial inquiry.

The accident happened suddenly about 5km due east of Snapper Island, a nature reserve in the middle of Port Stephens between Soldiers Point and Swan Bay, about 6.10pm.

Survivors spoke of people screaming and panicking in the water, shouting out to try to find their families.

One survivor, Mr Pancho Deminaur, told the Herald no-one on board had any warning that the boat was about to go down.

"We were on the top deck, my wife and my son, and then suddenly we were in the water," Mr Deminaur said.

"I said to my wife: 'I think we are gone,' because we looked around and there was just no help in sight.

"I just kept yelling 'stick together, stick together.' People were crying, they were panicking and the water was freezing cold."

"The N'Gluka on Soldier's Point slips yesterday. January 10, 1990."Credit:Peter Rae

Another survivor, Garry Ludlou, 34, of Newcastle, described his efforts to save a young baby.

"I was just holding her above the water, trying to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation ...

"I was trying to pick up the baby. I tried to save her but I just couldn't do it.

"The mother came with me on the boat back to Soldiers Point."

Mr Ludlou said he had no idea why the boat had gone down.

"We were just going slow, just punting across. Nobody was doing anything silly. There was no bang, nothing. We were just in the water."

He said the skipper had behaved well.

"He was very responsible ... The ones who had lifejackets were the ones who needed them."

The N'g-Luka had been on a cruise since 10am yesterday morning. According to Inspector Ralph Parkes, the fibreglass Steber vessel was heading across Lemon Tree passage from Swan Bay where the party had had lunch at Moffat's Oyster Barn.

Inspector Parkes said the party included members from as many as five local families.

"Everybody knew everybody on board," he said.

It is still not known how the accident occurred, and police said last night an investigation into the accident could take weeks.

Inspector Parkes said there was no may-day call.

"It happened all quite suddenly. There were other vessels in the water that got on to the Coast Guard after they saw what happened."

Police will today interview Dennis Warner, the N'g-Luka's owner, who was skippering the cruiser.

The two youngest victims, girls aged six weeks and 2 years, were from Sydney. The other victims, a boy, 3, and two girls, 5 and 7, were from Nelson Bay.

Local pleasure boats and rescue helicopters were called to pick up survivors from the water. Divers from local diving schools retrieved the bodies of those trapped inside the hull.

Inspector Parkes said several vessels in the water carried out the rescue and plucked all the survivors from the sea before the police launch arrived.

Three Sydney holidaymakers who were among the first to arrive at the scene last night said it was "total panic" as the survivors tried to scramble aboard.

The skipper of the 44-foot The Caramor, Steve Windon, 30, of Lane Cove, said: "We were just throwing safety equipment, even senders to help them get up on the boat. All the people were in total shock ... they were all shaking, wet and cold."

Rescue services, already stretched to the limit by the December 28 earthquake in Newcastle, rushed to the Soldiers Point Marina and Black Marlin Marina where survivors were brought in.

Survivors were ferried by police rescue craft to nearby Soldiers Point about 7.30 and transferred to the Nelson Bay Poly Clinic about 8.30pm.

Police set up an emergency operations unit at the Poly Clinic to handle inquiries from distressed relatives and friends.

Most survivors had been released from hospital by 10.30 last night and went home under police escort.

Thank you for reading the Herald. This article is complimentary.

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From the Archives, 1990: 5 children drown in capsize