Deadly event questioned
Victoria’s Southern 80 waterskiing competition has seen its sixth death since 1987.
Fifty-year-old David Morabito died after being flung from the seat of his speedboat at the event over the weekend, which is one of the Murray River area's most popular tourist attractions.
At the same event last year, competitor Kevin Vahtrik died after falling into the water at high speed.
The event also saw deaths in 2010, 2007, 2006, and 1987.
The Southern 80 brings in bumper crowds, often with over 500 competitors, and was first held on the Murray River in 1965.
Organisers and officials insist that the Southern 80 has adequate safety procedures.
“We take safety very seriously and will work tirelessly with Ski Racing Australia and all police and emergency services to support a full review of the weekend's event, and to ensure our safety procedures are of the very highest standards,” the group said on Facebook.
Campaspe Mayor Adrian Weston, in whose electorate the Southern 80 event occurs, agrees that organisers run the competition in as safe a way as possible.
“There's a huge amount of work that's done by the event organisers and all the safety agencies and emergency services agencies and I think the standard of the race and the teams that do race is absolutely professional,” he told the ABC.
Moama Water Sports Club president John Lomas said not all the details are known.
“We're looking at it very closely at the present moment where we'll be having meetings with [Ski Racing Australia], which is the governing body of water sport [and] waterski racing in Australia,” he said.
“When we get the police report back we can sit back and review the whole situation, because safety is paramount.”
Social media users have registered their concern, with some suggesting the event should be cancelled.