Tragedy Sparks Call for Water Safety Reform
The heartbroken parents of a 15-year-old boy killed in a devastating jet ski collision are leading demands for stronger safety legislation to protect children along Australia's coastal areas. Mitchell Irvine lost his life on July 22nd when the personal watercraft he was riding with friend Noah Watkins, 14, crashed near Tom Uglys Bridge on Georges River in Sylvania.
A Fateful Evening Turns to Tragedy
Both teenagers were wearing life jackets during the incident which occurred in darkness, with Noah - who held a valid jet ski licence - operating the vehicle. Mitchell's mother, Andrea Irvine, shared her haunting final moments with her son, telling reporters: "I dropped him off at like 4pm, and then I said, 'Pick you up at 7pm'. And... that was it."
The grieving mother added: "I just keep thinking about, we just weren't there in his last moments to help him when he needed us, we just weren't there."
Emergency services rushed to the scene around 6pm after witnesses reported hearing Noah's desperate cries for help. First responders discovered both boys in the water, with Mitchell unresponsive and Noah suffering a severed arm.
Family's Plea for Legislative Change
Mitchell's father, Neil Irvine, is advocating for significant reforms to jet ski regulations, including raising the minimum operating age from 12 to 16 and making high-buoyancy life jackets mandatory. "I think if they fix the age that people can actually drive a jet ski, which is currently 12, that will fix a number of problems," he stated.
Mr Irvine made an emotional appeal to lawmakers: "You've got an opportunity to do something, do it. Look after our children, protect our future and make some change."
The family remembers Mitchell as an adventurous teenager who had recently started working at McDonald's and loved sports including boxing and football. "He loved to travel. He'd recently started working at Macca's. He loved anything from nippers to boxing to footy," Ms Irvine recalled. "But he still took his teddy bears to bed... he was still our baby."
Political Support Grows for Safety Measures
The couple's campaign has gained political traction, with Bayside Council's deputy mayor Heidi Lee Douglas publicly endorsing their proposed safety measures. "Our coastline should be a place of joy, safety and community – not danger and grief," she declared in an October social media statement.
She further emphasised that "high-speed jet ski use continues to pose risks to children, swimmers, paddlers, families and endangered shorebirds."
Roads and Regional Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison confirmed that the New South Wales government is reviewing measures concerning jet ski regulations. "We want to make sure, as a government, that we're pulling every single lever at our disposal in order to save lives," she told reporters.
Despite their unimaginable loss, Mitchell's parents are striving to focus on positive memories. His father shared: "We're trying to just focus on the really good bits of it, and not the last two hours. It will never make sense." He recalled Mitchell's "joy in his face when we took him to new places, or when he scored a goal."
