A four-wheel drive has fallen off a barge heading to Fraser Island and sunk.
No-one was inside at the time, but a group of backpackers on their way to the island for New Year's Eve lost their mobile phones, bank cards, passports and other valuables when the rentedvehicle rolled out between Inskip Point and Fraser Island, north of Brisbane, about 10:00am.
Backpacker Chloe Swift, who was on the barge as part of the same backpacker tagalong group, said it was a "really sad and scary start" to her Fraser Island trip.
"There were a lot of girls obviously crying their phones and everything are in the car that sunk," she said.
A spokesman for Manta Ray Fraser Island Barges said they were investigating the incident and declined further comment.
K.J.
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From Coast to Coast, We'll see it all.......One Day
I have travelled on the barge 'Kingfisher Bay' to Fraser Island several times. The ramp on that one is at the front, and you are right Hako - the ramp is raised after loading and as it get under way.
It looks like the ramp on this barge is at the rear? Obviously a different barge.
It left from Inskip Point. Drive on forward, drive off forward. They are all told to put handbrake on, put in park or 1st gear and turn engine off. On a fast falling tide they delay raising the ramp(don't know why). The backpackers left the Tojo in neutral and didn't apply the handbrake. The barge operators are investigating. Backpackers =no 4x4 experience. Apparently a tag along tour.
If you read the terms and conditions for most hire vehicles it states not to be taken on barges (across water). When we went to Bruny Island, Tasmania a couple years ago we hired from a company that allowed us to take their car onto the barge. When we were on the island, there were many cars from companies that don't allow it. I researched it before hiring our vehicle. I guess people don't read the terms and conditions or have the "we'll be right mate" attitude. A vehicle is mighty expensive to replace if your insurance is "null and void". Hire vehicles to Fraser Island come under similar rules as to Bruny Island. As Kiwijims said it will be interesting to see who will pay for the rented vehicle.
-- Edited by Gaylehere on Sunday 1st of January 2017 12:19:10 AM
the clip of the "launching" was on ABC news tonight. As we watched the vehicle roll gracefully off the rear of the barge, the reporter said the rear ramp had not been raised as it should have been and the vehicle was not in gear, but had its handbrake on.
The sea seemed very calm.........think the backpackers will shoot through and not pay the rental company for the loss of their vehicle
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
if there's no guard rail at the rear of the barge and you left your car not in park with the hand brake off ? and it may not be the case ,but it certainly looks like it to me ,this could only be stupidity at the highest level which is not uncommon with certain people..
