The family of a couple injured in a freak snorkelling boat accident in Bali that left an Aussie woman dead claims details around the incident have been downplayed.
The Sea Dragon 2 was travelling from the port of Sanur to a popular dive site at Manta Point, near the tiny island of Nusa Penida about 8.30am on Friday morning.
Local police spokesperson Agus Widiono said a freak wave hammered the boat before a second large surge overturned the vessel.
Some 13 people, including 11 Australian tourists, were on board with Melbourne executive Anna Maree Blight dying two days after celebrating her 39th birthday.
Gabriel Hijniakoff, 29, and his partner Cintamani ‘Tam’ Warrington were treated for burns and required urgent medical attention.
Mr Hijniakoff’s sister-in-law Olivia Hijniakoff has launched a GoFundMe where she aired chilling claims about the accident.
‘The details of the incident are still to be confirmed, as media outlets and local reports have been INACCURATE and down played by initial reports through local authorities,’ she wrote.
‘Though what we do know is that Gabriel and Tam were involved in a serious accident, resulting in sustaining serious injuries, a road to recovery and furthermore a difficult situation in getting them home with the loss of their travel documents/electronic devices.
Brisbane couple Gabriel Hijniakoff and Cintamani Warrington are undergoing treatment in Bali for extensive injuries they suffered when the snorkeling tour boat capsized
Ms Blight’s fellow passengers, 11 Australian tourists, and the tour boat’s two local crew, spent more than an hour clinging to the capsized vessel before being rescued on Friday
‘The gravity of such events and injuries unfortunately do sustain long term effects and further treatment.’
Ms Hijniakoff said they were still waiting to receive full details of how the Sea Dragon 2 managed to find itself overwhelmed in heavy waters.
‘On March 21, 2025, while on a much-needed holiday in Bali, Gabriel and Tam’s trip turned into a nightmare,’ she wrote.
‘While travelling from the port on the east coast to Nusa Penida for a day of snorkelling, tragedy struck.
She said Ms Warrington was in particularly precarious state and suggested her injuries could have been caused by prolonged contact with the petrol – or other chemicals – that spilled out as the boat was capsized.
‘Tam’s injuries are particularly severe, as she has sustained extensive chemical burns?/burns to a large portion of her body,’ Ms Hijniakoff said.
‘She is currently undergoing urgent surgery and is currently receiving medical treatment in Bali after a tireless fight from abroad.
‘Unfortunately, she is unable to speak due to the pain and her condition remains critical.
Financial services director Anna Maree Blight died in a freak snorkelling boat accident off the coast of Bali just two days after celebrating her 39th birthday on the tropical resort island
‘Gabriel, too, has sustained significant injuries and they were only able to begin medical treatment nearly 24 hours after the incident.
‘Both were left stranded on the boat for an extended period along other passengers and did not receive timely medical attention or transfers.
‘To make matters worse, they lost crucial personal belongings, including their phones, passports, and wallets, making it even harder to arrange medical transfers and recovery efforts.
‘Gabriel and Tam’s situation has become an emotional and financial burden, and the road ahead will be a long and challenging one.’
Local police said the Mr Hijniakoff and Ms Warrtington had suffered burns to their upper thighs, but they attributed their injuries to heat from the engine.
They were treated at Griya Medical Clinic before being flown to Denpasar.
Mr Hijniakoff’s brother, Jacob, said the couple – who had been in Bali for about a week – had managed to contact family back home via WhatsApp as they waited to be rescued.
‘They were out on the boat for an hour or two until they actually got picked up, and then they were stranded on the island for a while – they couldn’t get back to the mainland until later that night,’ he told the Courier Mail.
Mr Hijniakoff had been enjoying a ‘much-needed holiday’ in Bali when disaster struck
‘They are undergoing treatment there and then trying to get back to Australia.
‘He just wants to get back to Australia and be with his friends and family (and) get Tam the help she needs.’
Local police spokesperson Mr Widiono said the Sea Dragon 2 tour boat had stopped on the Badung Strait, which separates Nusa Penida from Bali, at the time and that a number of its passengers had already been in the water snorkelling.
‘However, when the boat reached Klingking waters, a large wave suddenly hit the boat,’ a police statement said.
‘The captain attempted to avoid the wave and reduce the engine speed, but something struck the boat’s engine, making it difficult to control.’
The 12 survivors, including two local crew and the severely injured tourists, managed to cling to the tour boat for more than a hour before being saved from the turbulent seas by the sister vessel, Sea Dragon 1, and nearby fast ferry the Axe Stone.
Ms Blight’s body was recovered during the rescue and taken to the Sanglah Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The damaged boat was recovered and towed back to Toya Pakeh Harbor at Nusa Penida.
Ms Warrington and her partner are now desperately fighting severe burns
The operators of the Axe Stone fast ferry said the boat’s captain had raced to the scene to help rescue passengers from the ocean after being altered to accident.
Although the sea was choppy, they added the did not believe there was anything particularly dangerous about the waters on Friday morning.
‘The report from the captain is the waves were rough and it was rainy,’ a spokesman said. ‘For that area to do activities on the ocean is pretty fine.’
The operators of the Sea Dragon snorkelling trip are still to comment publicly on the tragedy.
Sanglah Morgue forensic doctor Nola Margaret Gunawan told the Courier Mail newspaper that authorities were awaiting the arrival of Ms Blight’s family.
‘At this point I don’t know yet if an autopsy will be performed, I am still waiting for the process from the police and also the family request,’ Dr Gunawan said.
‘I have to wait for identification from the police and the family.’
She said it was too early to determine a cause of death.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to her family.
‘We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,’ the spokesperson said.
‘The department is also providing consular assistance to the two other Australians.
‘Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.’
Tourist boat accidents are common in Indonesia with the vessels often overcrowded and having poor safety regulations.