The two teenage boys involved in a horror jet ski crash, which saw one killed and his friend fighting for his life after his arm was severed, have been identified.
Noah Watkins, 14, and his 15-year-old friend Mitchell Irvine were riding a jet ski on the Georges River in Sylvania, in Sydney’s south, when it crashed near the Tom Uglys Bridge just after 6pm on Tuesday.
Noah, who was licensed to use the jetski, was at the controls in dark conditions and both boys were wearing life jackets.
It is believed they hit an obstacle in the water and then collided with a barge.
Witnesses immediately called emergency services after hearing Noah’s cries for help as he floated in the water.
One of the first responding police officers immediately jumped into the river and pulled Noah to the edge, where it was discovered one of his arms was severed.
The teen was treated by paramedics who were able to stabilise him at the scene before rushing him to Sydney Children’s Hospital where he remains in a critical condition.
Mitchell was found unresponsive in the water, and although paramedics performed CPR on the 15-year-old, he was declared dead at the scene.
Mitchell Irvine, 15, died at the scene after his body was pulled unresponsive from the water following the crash
Noah Watkins, 14, is fighting for his life in hospital after his arm was severed when the jet ski he was riding on with his friend Mitchell crashed near Tom Uglys bridge
A specialist medical team treated Noah for his severed arm before stabilising the teen and rushing him to hospital
Witnesses said Noah’s severed arm was still visible on Wednesday morning, laying on the barge which was hit by the jetski.
Friends have shared heartbreaking tributes to Mitchell and wishes to Noah following the tragedy.
‘Rest up lad, I’m going to miss you,’ one boy wrote. Praying for you too Noah. Love you lad.’
Another friend described Mitchell as having ‘many great friendships’ and being the ‘purest boy you could ever meet’.
Many others have simply commented ‘LLM’ – an abbreviation for ‘long live Mitch’ – on videos shared to various social media platforms.
Farid Nagi, a friend and neighbour of Noah’s dad, described Noah as the ‘cutest, gutsiest, staunchest kid for his age’.
‘He’s tough, he’s bright, he’s full of life and he’s always happy… he’s a beautiful kid that has so much to live for,’ Mr Nagi said.
‘It’s devastating… it could damage the rest of his life. His friend passed away, the one that’s always with him. It’s a tragic moment for everyone.’
Noah has shared several videos to Instagram which show him riding his jet ski at high speeds across Sydney waterways
Another video showed Noah’s jet ski tangled in the mangroves after riding the vehicle at a fast speed on the river
Other videos showed two boys riding a boat on a river, with the boat’s bow lifted in the air
Noah had shared several videos on Instagram of him riding his jet ski at high speed with his friends and performing other dangerous acts on the water.
One video showed him travelling at high speeds on a river before the jet ski ended up tangled in mangroves.
Other clips showed two boys riding a boat on a river, with the boat’s bow lifted in the air.
Several other clips of dangerous acts on the waterways have also been shared on TikTok by a group of young teenagers, with Noah tagged in the captions.
‘It’s a tragedy to say the least, not only for the families but for the local community,’ Inspector Timothy Carter said.
Insp Carter said the gruesome accident would also have a lasting impact on emergency responders, while praising the efforts of the officer, who jumped into the water, as ‘heroic.’
One of the first responding police officers immediately jumped into the river and pulled Noah to the edge
Paramedics performed CPR on Mitchell, who was found unresponsive in the water, but he was unable to be revived and died at the scene
‘It also has a significant impact on emergency services, the police have done their best to save these kids’ lives. We feel great empathy towards the families,’ he said.
Police have established a crime scene and an investigation is still underway to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.
Anyone with information about the incident is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
