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.
The pair were riding the jet ski when it crashed near the Tom Uglys Bridge just after 6pm on Tuesday.
Witnesses immediately called emergency services after hearing Noah’s cries for help as he floated in the water.
Police and paramedics found Noah in the water with one of his arms severed and pulled him out.
A specialist medical team treated Noah for his severed arm before stabilising the teen and rushing him to Sydney Children’s Hospital in a critical condition.
Mitchell was later found unresponsive in the water, with paramedics performing CPR on the 15-year-old.
Paramedics were unable to revive Mitchell and he died 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 the teenager’s severed arm was still visible on Wednesday morning, laying on the barge which was hit by the jetski.
Police are investigating whether the friends had hit an obstacle in the water while riding the jet ski in the dark.
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.
A friend and neighbour of Noah’s dad, Farid Nagi, 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.
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
‘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.’
It comes after Noah shared several videos on Instagram of him riding his jet ski with his friends and performing other dangerous acts on the water.
Several videos showed Noah speeding across the water on his jet ski.
One of the videos 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.
Inspector Timothy Carter labelled the crash as a ‘tragedy’ for the families and broader community.
‘It’s a tragedy to say the least, not only for the families but for the local community,’ Insp Carter said.
Insp Carter added the crash had a lasting impact on emergency responders before praising the efforts of the officer, who jumped into the water, as ‘heroic.’
‘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.
