Inquest into the Death of Melfi, Luke
Deceased
Melfi, Luke
Demographics
male
Date of death
2012-09-27
Finding date
2013
Cause of death
Drowning in the ocean off the cliffs at Steep Point
AI-generated summary
Luke Melfi, an occasional fisherman, was one of five men washed off rocks at Steep Point while fishing in rough sea conditions on 27 September 2012. Unlike the four other men who were rescued after five and a half hours by discarding clothing and allowing currents to carry them away from the rocks, Melfi was not located despite extensive search operations. Evidence suggests Melfi, positioned closest to the rocks when washed into the ocean, may have attempted to reach land rather than swimming away from the hazard. Expert opinion indicated survival through the first night was unlikely given severe sea conditions. No body was recovered. The coroner found death by drowning occurred on the date of the incident.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Extreme sea conditions with 3 metre swell and 35-40 km/h southwesterly winds
- Deceased was an occasional fisherman with no prior experience at Steep Point
- No life jackets or buoyancy devices worn by any of the five men washed into the sea
- Possible failure to swim away from rocks as other survivors did
- Deceased positioned closest to rocks when washed into ocean
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