A 27-year-old man has drowned on the Hobart waterfront after he fell into the water near a busy wharf last night. Members of the public and the police were able to get the man out of the water, but he died at the scene.
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00:00 So, at about 10pm last night, police received reports of a man and a woman who had fallen
00:06 into the water on the Hobart waterfront next to the busy Princess Wharf.
00:11 The woman was able to get out of the water, but the man continued to struggle on the surface.
00:16 The woman raised the alarm and two members of the public also entered the water in an
00:20 attempt to save the man.
00:22 Police arrived and the man was able to be pulled onto the back of a nearby boat, but
00:26 tragically he died at the scene.
00:29 Police have praised the heroic efforts of members of the public who attempted to save
00:33 the man, Gemma.
00:34 How unusual is it for a drowning to happen so close to a busy public causeway?
00:42 Well as you might be able to see around me, the water comes right up next to the public
00:47 causeway and in many areas of the Hobart waterfront.
00:49 There's no railing.
00:52 Last year, the coroner investigated two separate drowning deaths on the waterfront.
00:56 Both of those men occurred late at night and they also involved the use of alcohol.
01:01 Of course, it's far too early to say what caused last night's incident, but the coroner
01:05 highlighted the safety issues with the waterfront and since those drownings there's been additional
01:11 lighting, more ladders and also more safety buoys installed.
01:15 But again, another tragic drowning on the Hobart waterfront and police will be providing
01:19 more information later today.
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