Emily KowalJuly 26, 2026 — 2:57pmA Sunday fishing trip has turned to tragedy with a man dying and another being taken to hospital after their boat capsized off La Perouse.Emergency services were called to Bare Island near La Perouse on Sunday at around 10.30am after reports of a boat capsizing.Water police were told the two men were fishing without lifejackets when a wave swept over the boat, ejecting the men into the water.One of the men, aged 74, was rescued by a person on a jet ski and taken to shore, where he was treated by NSW paramedics. He is in a stable condition at the Prince of Wales hospital.The second man, yet to be formally identified, was airlifted from the water by the Westpac Lifesaver Helicopter unconscious and flown to a landing site on Anzac Parade, La Perouse. Paramedics performed CPR, but the man was unable to be revived and died at the scene. Bare Island Fort near La Perouse. The accident occured near Bare Island on Sunday morning. Photo: Rhett WymanWerrington man Chris Hibbard was on the water fishing and spotted the boat before right before it capsized.“Those waves truly scared me. They were that fierce. I can’t describe how big they were,” he said.He spotted the boat, rocking left to right. “I have never seen a wave so big down there. You couldn’t see land. They were ginormous,” Hibbard said.At that moment, he said he realised how dangerous the situation was and made the decision to turn back.Shortly after, the nearby boat capsized. “I didn’t see it go down but I saw the aftermath.” He said the boat was torn apart.“I feel terrible. I could have grabbed them out of the water if I had realised. I would have gone straight for them.”Police are urging anyone with information about the incident or with dashcam footage to contact Maroubra police station or Crime Stoppers.More to come.From our partners