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Witnesses risked their own lives trying to save Hawkesbury seaplane passengers

Witnesses to the Hawkesbury River seaplane crash that killed the pilot and five passengers on New Year's Eve risked their own lives diving in to try and save them.

Richard Cousins, 58, his fiancée Emma Bowden, 48, her daughter Heather Bowden-Page, 11, Mr Cousin’s sons Edward, 23, and William, 25, and their experienced pilot Gareth Morgan, 44, all died when their plane crashed into the Hawkesbury River.

The crash was witnessed by many others who were boating in the area, including four friends on a houseboat celebrating New Year's Eve, who rushed to help within minutes of seeing the plane go down in Jerusalem Bay.

The group rushed to help after seeing the plane plunge into the river. Source: Supplied/Kurt Bratby.
The group rushed to help after seeing the plane plunge into the river. Source: Supplied/Kurt Bratby.
British businessman Richard Cousins, 58, was one of six people who perished in the crash. Source: Getty
British businessman Richard Cousins, 58, was one of six people who perished in the crash. Source: Getty

Science teacher Will McGovern told the ABC that he watched on in fear as his three friends risked their own lives to dive in and swim towards the wreckage as aviation fuel spilled into the water.

"The whole time I was freaking out that this fuel was going to spark," Mr McGovern told the ABC.

"The plane was moving fast, it was going down fast - they could have got sucked in."

The three men, Kurt Bratby, Todd Sellars and Lachlan Hewitt, tried to open the plane door, which was already deep underwater, but they were unable to prise it open.

Kurt Bratby was one of three men who desperately tried to save the crash victims. Source: Facebook
Kurt Bratby was one of three men who desperately tried to save the crash victims. Source: Facebook

"It was hard because of the oil, but I could see the windows," real estate agent Kurt Bratby said.

"We just couldn't dive down deep enough really to see more."

Other boaters that arrived at the scene shouted at the three men to get out of the water because of the fuel risk and amount of debris in the water, but they were not about to give up.

The crash site on the Hawkesbury River. Source: 7 News
The crash site on the Hawkesbury River. Source: 7 News

They tied the tail of the plane to their dinghy and tried to tow the aircraft to shore, but it was too heavy.

"I can only think of the families in mourning at the moment," Kurt Bratby said after their desperate rescue effort.

The Cousins family were on holiday in Sydney and were returning from lunch when the crash happened.

They ate lunch at Cottage Point Inn before setting out on the the single-engine 1964 DHC-2 Beaver seaplane, to return to the Rose Bay terminal in Sydney's east.

Shortly after the plane took off, about 3.15pm, something went wrong and the plane plunged into Jerusalem Bay.

Emma Bowden and her daughter, Heather Bowden-Page. Source: Facebook
Emma Bowden and her daughter, Heather Bowden-Page. Source: Facebook
Brothers Edward and William Cousins. Source: Supplied.
Brothers Edward and William Cousins. Source: Supplied.

Mr McGovern said he wanted the family and friends of the six people who died to know that his mates did everything they could to help save them.

"The families of these poor people, they need to know people were there risking their lives trying to help their family members," Mr McGovern told the ABC.

"There was someone there trying to do something.

"It was an extraordinary level of bravery that my three mates showed getting in the water."

Pilot Gareth Morgan, who died in the tragic crash. Source: Sydney Seaplanes
Pilot Gareth Morgan, who died in the tragic crash. Source: Sydney Seaplanes

Investigators have said it could take weeks, even months, to determine the exact cause of the plane crash.