‘Freak wave’: Perth man Liam Kerr reveals distressing moment boat capsized in Bali, killing three

One of the Australians on board a boat that capsized in Bali, which claimed three lives, has spoken out about the distressing ordeal.

Liam Kerr was one of the 80 people on board the Fast Boat Dolphin II, which had crossed from Nusa Penida and was about 100m from its destination port in Sanur at about 5pm AEST Tuesday when it flipped and flew its occupants into the water.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) told NewsWire four Australians were confirmed to be on-board when the boat capsized.

Three people were killed, including two Chinese nationals and an Indonesian crew member.

Speaking to Today, Liam said the boat was returning to the shore when it was hit by a “freak wave”, flipping the boat “instantly” and tossing people into the water.

Standing on the top deck with his friends, the impact of the wave tossed the group off the boat, while others were stuck inside it.

“It was kind of within two, three seconds we went from being everything’s fine and normal to (the boat being) upside down, and we’re in the water,” he said.

As Liam returned to the surface, he noticed many others were struggling to keep above the water.

“I popped up and there was a younger Indonesian guy who actually couldn’t swim and he grabbed hold of me, but I pushed him away because there was nothing I could really do,” he said.

“He was actually one of the guys who passed away, so that was pretty confronting for my mates and I.”

The Perth man grabbed his phone and captured the moment the boat was flipped upside down, with the passengers floating nearby as the rescue team worked to pull them from the water.

It wasn’t until he returned home to Perth yesterday that the reality of the incident sunk in.

“But now I’m back, it all kind of hit me pretty hard last night, I’m just really grateful that we’re okay, it could have been a lot worse for one of us,” he said.

“We are kind of just in disbelief and shock that it happened.”

Maritime accidents are common in Indonesia due to poorly regulated safety rules, overcrowding and rough sea conditions.

Smartraveller warns Australians travelling to Indonesia to be cautious of rough seas and strong rips at tourist beaches.

In March, a 39-year-old Australian woman was killed and two others were injured after a snorkelling boat capsized off the coast of Bali.