KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - Top ice skating judges Alan Blinn and Simone Moore were among three people killed in the Sydney Harbour ferry disaster, the sport's governing body said today.
A search was also underway today for 14-year-old Queensland skater Morgan Innes, missing after a HarbourCat ferry and a 10-metre private motor cruiser collided near Sydney Harbour Bridge yesterday.
Former Australian Olympic figure skater Liz Cain was badly injured in the accident and seven other people were also injured, skating officials and police said.
Twelve members of Australia's ice skating community were on a late night harbour cruise when the collision occurred with a ferry returning to its base at nearby Balmain.
Most of those on the motor cruiser were in Sydney to participate in a week-long seminar given by American Olympic coach Kathy Casey at the Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink.
Australian Professional Skating Association vice-president Michael Pasfield today named two of the dead as Dr Alan Blinn, president of the NSW Ice Skating Association (NSW ISA), and Simone Moore, who was also involved with the NSW ISA.
Ms Cain, who competed in the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid in 1980, had a leg partially amputated in the crash.
The boat was part-owned owned by her husband Peter Lynch.
Her son, Sean Carlow, a prominent skater in his own right, was also on the boat last night but the extent of any injuries was not immediately clear.
'...must never happen again
A crash between a Sydney ferry and a private cruiser, like that which occured overnight, must never happen again, Sydney Ferries boss Rear Admiral Geoff Smith said.
Describing the impact between the two boats as catastrophic, Rear Admiral Smith said today he was determined to uncover the cause of the crash, which killed at least three people and injured eight others.
"I'm determined to get to the bottom of the cause of this and to ensure that it can never happen again, it's just too horrible," Mr Smith told ABC Radio.
A 14-year-old girl remains missing, three people are dead and eight others are injured following a ferry crash under the Sydney Harbour Bridge last night.
A 47-year-old Warriewood man, a 45-year-old Frenchs Forest man and a 44-year-old Bondi woman died at the scene.
Rear Admiral Smith said the captains of both vessels are responsible for looking out and avoiding a collision.
"The ferries have a degree of right-of-way but as with all mariners the responsibility is on both captains of their vessels to avoid collision if collision is imminent," he said.
"Right of way is one thing but each has a responsibility to try and avoid the impending collision and I'm sure that the investigations will be looking into all those aspects."
Rear Admiral Smith said police, NSW Maritime and the Office of Transport Safety Investigations were investigating the incident.
Collision
A HarbourCat ferry hit a 10-metre private boat carrying about 12 people at about 12.45am NZ time this morning.
"We have three deceased. Two women with serious injuries have gone to hospital," a NSW Ambulance Service spokesman said.
A 40-year-old woman who suffered a fractured pelvis was taken to St Vincent's Hospital, while a 35-year-old woman whose leg was partially amputated was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
A man who was initially reported missing was also in hospital with minor injuries.
Four other adults and a child were taken to hospital with minor injuries and shock, which meant 11 of the 12 people believed to be on board the smaller boat were accounted for.
Rescue helicopters and police divers were still searching for the missing girl.
Water police, divers, police and rescue helicopters, Sydney Ferries and Sydney Ports staff, and a naval patrol boat were assisting in the search and rescue operation.
The Westpac Life Saver Rescue helicopter crew had put sea dye in the water to help searchers track the currents in the area.
Police said overnight it was too early to say how the accident had occurred.
The HarbourCat Pam Burridge was out of service at the time and heading back to its dock when the accident happened near Pier 1 in the centre of the harbour.
Members of the public and ferry staff from the HarbourCat and the Fishburn, a Sydney ferry that was passing the accident scene, dived into the water to rescue the passengers.
Eyewitness Clive Marshall said the boat passengers were thrown into the water on impact.
"The boat basically just disintegrated," said Mr Marshall, who witnessed the incident from the Fishburn.
"There were a couple of people hanging on to the wreckage. There were people in the water around the boat."
He said the people in the water were screaming and shouting for help.
"It was just mayhem, you can imagine what it was like," Mr Marshall said.
"We had people in the water and bits of boat and the boat sinking and people screaming for their missing friends."
Ferry passengers who witnessed the incident were taken to Balmain Marine Area Command to be interviewed.
Police said they had recovered the boat wreckage and both vessels would be forensically examined.
They have set up a Marine Area Command hotline for concerned relatives on 1800 658 784.
The ambulance spokesman said a number of people on board the private boat appeared to be related.
The tragedy is the latest in a string of accidents involving Sydney Ferries.
Sydney Ferries would not comment on the incident.
- AAP
