Balmain bar staff described the incident as a pub staff night gone wrong.
MATTHEW REYNOLDS who was seen skippering a stolen boat, taken without the owners permission, that left a wharf at Balmain in Sydney with 14 people in party mode and then crashed killing 6 people, has now told police he was not driving the runabout when it collided with a fishing trawler on Sydney Harbour.
Some said they could not understand the decision to pile into a small boat built for eight people. "I don't know why they did it; I just wish they hadn't done it," said another friend of the victims.
Andre Ogle, from Russell Lea in Sydney's inner west, was fishing at Darling Street Wharf when he saw the runabout arrive between 1am and 1.30am.
He described the people on the boat as "a whole bunch of young people in party mode" and said a man who skippered the vessel away from the wharf said his name was "Matt". Mr Ogle confirmed May 7 2008, that Matt was at the helm when the runabout left the wharf. "Yes he definitely was," Mr Ogle said. "But the police have asked me not to make any more statements to the media."
The company that owns the runabout denied a statement by Mr Reynolds' lawyer that the 31-year-old had permission to use the boat. "Sydney Ship Repair and Engineering Pty Ltd confirmed on May 7, 2008 that its earlier statement that the boat involved in the accident was being used without authorisation or its knowledge,'' the statement read.
More than two months later, exactly what happened in the accident remains murky because police were too busy to find out. Mr Reynolds, 31, of Tweed Heads, was seen skippering the runabout early on May 1, when the two boats crashed near Bradleys Head killing five people and leaving another to die later in hospital.
A week after the crash his high profile father, Charlie Reynolds, told News Limited his son was not driving the seven-metre work boat at the time.
Fourteen people were on the runabout when it left its mooring in Balmain with Mr Reynolds at the helm. Mr Reynolds, went to Tweed Heads police station on Friday morning and gave a statement because the police were too busy.
He told them who he believed was driving the runabout at the time of the crash.
He has not undertaken a formal interview with police, and none has been scheduled.
His lawyer, Greg Walsh, said yesterday that he was unaware of any further interaction with police, and nor was Charlie Reynolds, who said it was up to police to contact his son if they wished to speak further to him.
A police spokesman said there was "every possibility" that they might need to speak again to a man he would identify only as a 31-year-old from Tweed Heads, but it depended on the course of the inquiry.
"They are still investigating," he said. "There may be a requirement to speak to him or clarify things with him."
It appears that the offence of skippering an overloaded stolen boat that then crashed killing six people doesn't seem to worry or concern the police.
Related:
Identity of Sydney harbour crashed runabout thief no mystery
Mathew Reynolds who was seen skippering a stolen boat taken without the owner’s permission, that left a wharf at Balmain in Sydney with 14 people and then crashed killing 6 people, has now told police he borrowed the runabout without permission before it collided with a fishing trawler on Sydney Harbour.
Police "too busy" to question possible driver of boat in fatal harbour crash We decided to help the police with their enquiry because they are overloaded with work. See witness statements chronology and timeline. Were blood tests done on the people to see if alcohol or drugs played a role in the tragedy? Overloaded stolen boat. Were the lights on? Did the boats smash into each other or did the stolen boat smash into the trawler? The boat was reported stolen. Therefore the boat was unregistered, uninsured and unlicensed. Did the police try to replace the skipper with a sober person? Why the delay in charges being laid? Are there special corporate interests to consider? Who is directing traffic? News Limited? The police? The Boys Club? All of them? None of them?
Harbour crash 'driver' goes to police
Seems clearly obvious police and the corporate media intend to cover-up for the publicans and high profile people in this case to the extent that facts will be changed or no interest shown. If you read the links the cover-up here is inescapable as the facts are changed and distorted. However if these people had been from Macquarie Fields those who broke the law would have been charged the day after the incident or as soon as they were released from hospital. It just depends on what class people come from and whom they know as well as the corporate media, pubs and cops work hand in hand to protect corporate and business interests.
Boat safety laws overhauled
The New South Wales Government has announced maritime safety laws will be overhauled, a month after six people died in a boat crash on Sydney Harbour.
Boat tragedy: mystery over driver?
Three weeks after the Sydney Harbour tragedy, police have yet to establish who was driving the runabout that collided with a fishing trawler, killing six young people.
Boat driver in fatal crash revealed: cover-up
Cocktail barman Percy Small has been named as the man at the wheel of the runabout when it crashed into a larger fishing boat, killing six people. It is believed those on board have also claimed that a third person may have been at the wheel during some point in the journey, News Limited [Limited News] reports. [???] [An attempt now to place someone that was allegedly not drunk at the helm???] Quote: "Witnesses have told police that after Mr Reynolds, a qualified skipper, negotiated the boat from Balmain Wharf he handed the controls over to Mr Small. Mr Small, who holds a 'boating licence' and 'did not appear affected by alcohol', safely took the boat across the harbour to Watsons Bay." Unquote. [NSW Police and Limited News Lies? Seems like they got the all clear??? Now all they have to do is inform the boat owners that granting permission to the crew for the journey won't be a liability???]
Harbour death crash: [who stole the boat?]
The father of Matthew Reynolds, [the man originally thought to have stolen the runabout and] the man originally thought to have been at the helm of the runabout at the time of last Thursday's harbour tragedy, says his son knows who was steering the vessel but will not reveal their identity because of "legal implications".
Homicide squad called in over harbour crash
THE homicide squad stamped its authority on the investigation into the harbour tragedy yesterday, with an inspection of the boats that smashed into each other in the cold and dark on Thursday morning.
Police name 6th harbour crash victim
Thirty-two-year-old Ashlei Ayres, a single mother of two, has now been named as one of the five people who died at the scene of the crash.
Balmain hotels fill as young mourn pub mates
Many of those involved in the accident were from Balmain. Friends gathered, embraced and cried openly on Darling Street, and soon after were intoxicated with alcohol as well as grief. Balmain bar staff described the incident as a pub staff night gone wrong.
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