Deceased
Nelson Chan and Joshua Chan
Demographics
unknown
Coroner
Decision ofJudge Pearce
Date of death
2024-08-19
Finding date
2026-04-08
Cause of death
Cause of death unable to be determined in the absence of post-mortem examination
AI-generated summary
Nelson Chan (47) and his son Joshua Chan (17) disappeared while rock fishing at Storm Bay, Kiama, NSW on 19 August 2024. Nelson's car was found parked near the fishing location, and Joshua's fishing rod and mobile phone were located on a cliff edge. Extensive searches found no bodies. A survivability expert concluded they could not have survived beyond afternoon of 20 August if they entered the water. The coroner found both deceased on the balance of probabilities but could not determine the precise cause or manner of death without bodies or post-mortem examination. Neither wore life jackets despite having them available. The case highlights risks of rock fishing at unprotected locations. The council subsequently initiated safety reviews and sought to declare all rock platforms in the area as high-risk fishing locations.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
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