Outback Wrangler Sued by Families Over Airboat Crash in Crocodile Country

Outback Wrangler sued by families over airboat crash.

That reality has now landed squarely in Australia's Federal Court.

Television personality Matt Wright and his wife Kaia are facing serious legal action from multiple injured tourists.

The lawsuits follow a terrifying incident during an outback tour in May 2023.

A passenger airboat carrying 13 tourists slammed directly into a riverside tree.

The high-speed impact occurred deep in crocodile country.

Passengers aboard the custom watercraft were violently hurled forward upon impact.

The crash left multiple people with severe physical and psychological trauma.

Now, at least three separate couples and their young children have launched legal proceedings.

They are demanding damages for the lasting harm caused by the outback ordeal.

HORROR IN CROCODILE COUNTRY

The incident took place at Sweets Lagoon.

The remote lagoon is located roughly 120 kilometers southwest of Darwin.

It serves as a key waterway near the Top End Safari Camp.

The popular tourist destination is owned and operated by Wright and his wife.

Wright became an international television star through National Geographic's hit series Outback Wrangler.

The show brought global attention to his daring captures of dangerous saltwater crocodiles.

His safari business promised visitors an authentic, up-close taste of the Northern Territory wilderness.

Airboat tours across the floodplains form a central attraction of that safari experience.

These specialized shallow-water vessels rely on massive aircraft-style fans to propel tourists across marshlands.

However, the May 2023 excursion turned catastrophic within moments.

The airboat was traveling at speed when it violently struck a tree along the water's edge.

Thirteen tourists were trapped aboard the damaged craft in crocodile-infested waters.

The sudden deceleration threw more than a dozen people forward without warning.

One female passenger sustained severe head injuries in the collision.

Another woman suffered a traumatic leg injury.

Other passengers, including children, endured acute physical trauma and ongoing psychological shock.

THE CLAIMS OF NEGLIGENCE

Lawsuits have now been lodged across different jurisdictions to hold the operators accountable.

Ryan Payne and Philippa Payne, visiting from New South Wales, were aboard with their two children.

Scott McFarlane and Bianca McFarlane, traveling from Queensland, were also on the boat with their family.

Both families have filed formal civil proceedings against the Wrights in the Federal Court.

They have named Matt Wright, Kaia Wright, and their operating company, Top End Safari Camp, as respondents.

The families allege that the safari operators acted with actionable negligence.

Their statement of claim also accuses the business of unconscionable conduct.

They argue the company breached fundamental statutory protections established under Australian consumer law.

Consumer laws guarantee that paid recreational services must be delivered with due care and skill.

The families are pursuing general damages for pain, suffering, and medical expenses.

They are also seeking aggravated and exemplary damages.

Exemplary damages are rare awards designed specifically by courts to punish conduct that shows conscious disregard for passenger safety.

A third couple, Amelia-Kate Potts and Gregory Potts, filed a separate lawsuit.

Their claim was initiated in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.

A fourth proceeding stemming from the same crash was launched in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

WRIGHTS DENY LIABILITY

The celebrity outback wrangler and his wife are vigorously resisting the accusations.

The Wrights reject any negligence on the part of themselves, their businesses, or their employees.

Amanda Bond, legal counsel appearing for the Wrights and Top End Safari Camp, confirmed their position in court.

Their defense maintains that the business and its operational staff met all applicable duties of care.

The airboat incident followed a previous fatal helicopter crash in February 2022 that had already drawn intense scrutiny to Wright's operations.

Recent court-ordered attempts to settle the airboat dispute out of court have collapsed.

A private mediation session held last Friday failed to produce any mutual agreement between the parties.

With settlement talks deadlocked, the litigation has shifted into open court.

JUDICIAL FRUSTRATION

The scattering of lawsuits across three separate state, territory, and federal courts drew blistering criticism from the bench.

Federal Court Justice Michael Lee expressed disbelief at how the litigation was being conducted.

Justice Lee addressed the fragmented legal battle during hearings in Sydney.

He demanded to know why victims of a single maritime accident were fighting across multiple courthouses.

"There's a whole series of people affected by this accident," Justice Lee declared.

"Why it's not in a class action is beyond me," the judge added.

He openly challenged lawyers on why three superior courts should spend public resources dealing with identical factual questions.

During a subsequent hearing, Justice Lee immediately pressed the legal teams for an update.

He wanted to know what concrete steps had been taken to rationalise the messy litigation.

THE PUSH TO CONSOLIDATE

The judge's stern rebuke triggered rapid procedural maneuvering among the plaintiffs' lawyers.

Barrister Timothy Smartt represents eight applicants currently before the Federal Court.

Smartt informed the bench that action was underway to bring the claims under one federal roof.

He revealed that an application had already been lodged to transfer the Victorian Supreme Court case.

The procedural tool being used is a cross-vesting application.

Cross-vesting laws allow Australian superior courts to transfer civil cases to a single appropriate court to avoid duplicative proceedings.

"One of the applicants in the other superior court has filed a cross-vesting application," Smartt told the court.

He indicated that the Wrights and their company would consent to moving the Victorian action to Sydney.

"So that will come to here," Smartt stated.

Smartt also noted that ongoing discussions were taking place with the Potts legal team in Darwin.

Lawyers representing the Northern Territory applicants are actively evaluating whether to abandon their local action.

"They're seriously considering it," Smartt told Justice Lee.

"I can't predict what they'll do, but I think they'll come," the barrister added.

Justice Lee indicated his firm intention to bring every related claim into a single consolidated trial.

INSURANCE COMPLICATIONS

While the victims seek compensation, a significant battle is brewing over who will actually pay.