Image: Footscray Pride Marchers in front of Western Bulldogs Club photo by Betty Sujecki
By DANIEL LO SURDO
NSW Police reported two deaths, 41 arrests and 67 charges during a high-visibility Australia Day operation, with Assistant Commissioner and Operation Commander Petter Cotter saying that “the vast majority celebrated safely” throughout the day.
A 33-year-old woman died on Wednesday afternoon after she was pulled from the water unconscious and treated by paramedics near Penrith following a boat with five people on board being overturned. Two men and two teenagers were rescued from the boat and were taken to Nepean Hospital to treat minor injuries and undergo observation, with detectives having begun an investigation into the incident.
Emergency services were called to Terrigal at about 5:00 pm yesterday after a 62-year-old man was believed to have fallen from rocks into the water while walking along Terrigal Haven, a popular fishing and boating spot on the Central Coast. The man was unconscious when he was pulled from the water to a nearby boat ramp, with the man dying while being transported to Gosford Hospital.
Police performed CPR on the scene and were assisted by witnesses, with officers from the Brisbane Water Police District establishing a crime scene and commencing investigations into the incident, with a report to be prepared for the coroner.
Assistant Commissioner Cotter said that the main issues during the operation were “anti-social and dangerous behaviour” while praising the “swift and early action” taken by police to help those enjoying their day responsibly.
Charges from the police operation included breach of bail, offensive behaviour, resisting arrest, malicious damage and assaulting a police officer.
It comes as about 4000 people gathered at Sydney Town Hall for the Invasion Day march, while those from the inner city and beyond converged at Camperdown’s Victoria Park to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture at the 20th anniversary of the Yabun Festival.
Operation Australia Day 2022 was launched by NSW Police to “ensure a safe and secure environment for the community”.
