Grieving siblings call for justice for dad after ill-fated Great Barrier Reef snorkelling trip
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Content Warning: This article mentions sensitive topics, such as drowning and death of a family member. Reader discretion is advised.
The Great Barrier Reef is world-renowned for its beautiful crystal clear waters, and locals and tourists flock to the serene destination to discover its wonders hidden beneath the waves.
But for one family, a trip to the tropical getaway did not turn out as they had anticipated.
A pair of siblings was confronted with the shocking news no one ever wants to hear—their father had died.
The family now alleges it resulted from their tour company recklessly taking them into unsafe waters.
Adrian Meyer, 71, had decided to take his children on the trip of a lifetime to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef for his birthday.
'I've never seen him beam so much in my entire life, he was just so excited,' son Nick Meyer said.
'Being an avid environmentalist and a lover of nature, this was going to be our ultimate trip together.'
The family joined a tour with Reef Experience, which departed from Cairns, on Monday.
When the tour reached the second stop at Norman Reef and got into the water, the family claimed that something was wrong and the water was unsafe.
'I've never really seen any conditions like this,' Nick said.
'They were absolutely horrific, it was such a strong current. There were so many people that were just getting swept out 300-400 metres at this point.'
Adrian’s daughter Angela claimed the only lifeboat capsized too.
‘It just literally went down like the Titanic,’ she said.
‘There were just people screaming everywhere, and we were in the water for so long, it just felt like forever.’
Amid the chaos that was ensuing, they spotted their father back on the deck, already receiving CPR from a crew member—but it was too late.
After the family arrived back from the trip, they were greeted by Reef Experience’s legal representation.
'The trauma really is that we lost our dad, we almost drowned ourselves, and then the first people on the boat when we got to the marina were the lawyers,' Angela said.
‘He said, “Is this your dad?” and I said, “Are you joking? Absolutely, this is my dad, who are you?” and he said, “I'm a lawyer, I'm representing the business.”’
Nick and Angela, still in mourning, have now hired lawyers themselves.
'I don't appreciate when claims have been made by the company that he had a medical episode when he did not,' Angela claimed.
'We have got the autopsy, and he did not have a medical episode.'
‘What I’d like to do is see justice for my dad,’ Nick said.
The Meyer family would also want to see changes in the company’s rules, such as stricter procedures in testing water safety, and spare other families from experiencing the pain they felt.
‘Stricter procedures (and) protocols in place so that the waters are tested,’ Angela said.
‘Whether the waters are safe for people to get in because they clearly were not.’
‘There was nothing safe about those waters that day.’
We express our sincerest condolences to the Meyer family, and we hope no other families will have to experience the same.
The Great Barrier Reef’s well-being has declined significantly and has already been put on UNESCO’s watchlist. The report also added that the reef is under ‘serious threat’ due to global heating and water pollution. Read more about the story here.
Do you think travel tours have been responsible enough to keep their guests safe and secure? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
The Great Barrier Reef is world-renowned for its beautiful crystal clear waters, and locals and tourists flock to the serene destination to discover its wonders hidden beneath the waves.
But for one family, a trip to the tropical getaway did not turn out as they had anticipated.
A pair of siblings was confronted with the shocking news no one ever wants to hear—their father had died.
The family now alleges it resulted from their tour company recklessly taking them into unsafe waters.
Adrian Meyer wanted to go snorkelling with his family on his 71st birthday. Credit: Shutterstock
Adrian Meyer, 71, had decided to take his children on the trip of a lifetime to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef for his birthday.
'I've never seen him beam so much in my entire life, he was just so excited,' son Nick Meyer said.
'Being an avid environmentalist and a lover of nature, this was going to be our ultimate trip together.'
The family joined a tour with Reef Experience, which departed from Cairns, on Monday.
When the tour reached the second stop at Norman Reef and got into the water, the family claimed that something was wrong and the water was unsafe.
'I've never really seen any conditions like this,' Nick said.
'They were absolutely horrific, it was such a strong current. There were so many people that were just getting swept out 300-400 metres at this point.'
Adrian’s daughter Angela claimed the only lifeboat capsized too.
‘It just literally went down like the Titanic,’ she said.
‘There were just people screaming everywhere, and we were in the water for so long, it just felt like forever.’
It is alleged that the company took its guests into unsafe waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Credit: Unsplash
Amid the chaos that was ensuing, they spotted their father back on the deck, already receiving CPR from a crew member—but it was too late.
After the family arrived back from the trip, they were greeted by Reef Experience’s legal representation.
'The trauma really is that we lost our dad, we almost drowned ourselves, and then the first people on the boat when we got to the marina were the lawyers,' Angela said.
‘He said, “Is this your dad?” and I said, “Are you joking? Absolutely, this is my dad, who are you?” and he said, “I'm a lawyer, I'm representing the business.”’
Nick and Angela, still in mourning, have now hired lawyers themselves.
'I don't appreciate when claims have been made by the company that he had a medical episode when he did not,' Angela claimed.
'We have got the autopsy, and he did not have a medical episode.'
‘What I’d like to do is see justice for my dad,’ Nick said.
The Meyer family would also want to see changes in the company’s rules, such as stricter procedures in testing water safety, and spare other families from experiencing the pain they felt.
‘Stricter procedures (and) protocols in place so that the waters are tested,’ Angela said.
‘Whether the waters are safe for people to get in because they clearly were not.’
‘There was nothing safe about those waters that day.’
We express our sincerest condolences to the Meyer family, and we hope no other families will have to experience the same.
The Great Barrier Reef’s well-being has declined significantly and has already been put on UNESCO’s watchlist. The report also added that the reef is under ‘serious threat’ due to global heating and water pollution. Read more about the story here.
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