UK Tourist Dies As Jetski Hits Anchor Chain in Australia

A British doctor holidaying in Australia has been killed on the country's Gold Coast after being catapulted on to a sandbank when his hired jet ski hit the anchor chain of a moored boat.

Dr Sridhar Shekar, 31, from Meanwood, Leeds, sustained serious head and body injuries, including a broken pelvis, in the collision yesterday morning local time. Witnesses tried to administer emergency first aid but were unable to revive him.

His wife, Dr Divya Patel, 32, who was a passenger on the jetski, suffered minor injuries and shock in the accident on Broadwater, north of Surfers Paradise. Police said the boat's owner was on board at the time of the fatal collision and was treated for shock.

Shekar had been under supervision and was using a dedicated jetski course when staff alerted him he was going too close to a boat just moments before he crashed at around 10.30am.

Trevor Gibson, part-owner of the jet ski hire business, said: "I'm not sure if it was his first time or not. He had done a couple of circuits of the course already. Our staff had warned him that he was going too close to a moored boat."

He added that the moored boat was around 100 meters from where Shekar had set off from the beach after being warned about the hazard. "It is inexplicable that it happened," Gibson said. "I just have no idea how he could have hit it. The company has been operating for 13 years and nothing like this has ever happened."

The area is popular with tourists and water sports enthusiasts because of its calm, protected waters.

The Foreign Office confirmed yesterday that a British national had been killed as a result of a jet ski collision in Queensland.

State police said an investigation had been launched. Asked whether inexperience could have played a part in the accident, acting senior sergeant Mark Kelly told reporters: "It can be very difficult to drive a jet ski. I believe the person, it may have been his first time on the jet ski."

Anna Bligh, Queensland's premier, said state authorities would ask whether the regulations on the hiring of jet skis should be tightened. "We expect that our tourists will be involved in adventure and often sometimes quite risky behavior, but we need to also satisfy ourselves that all reasonable care has been taken by the operator," she said. "This investigation will assist us to determine whether we need to toughen up any of the regulation of this industry."

Shekar is believed to have qualified at the University of Mysore in India before coming to Britain. He had worked at Bradford Teaching Hospitals trust as a senior house officer in rheumatology.

A trust spokesman said: "Everyone here is saddened to learn of Dr Shekar's tragic death. We would like to take this opportunity to pass on our sincerest condolences to Dr Shekar's family and friends at what must be a very difficult time for them."

Meena Matharu, one of the couple's neighbors, said: "They were a very outgoing couple who were cheerful and helpful whenever they could be. They were always laughing and joking, making people smile. They were very happy together and every time I saw them they were enjoying life."