Amanda Frost, Candice Rutten, Nathan Rutten, Renne Tawa & Stephanie TawaPrint Page 
The monument commemorates Amanda Frost (5), Candice Rutten (7), Nathan Rutten (3), Renne Tawa (2) and Stephanie Tawa (6 weeks) who drowned in the N`Gluka boating tragedy in January 1990.
The tears may not come as often as they once did but Nelson Bay mother Sue Frost has never stopped wondering what life may have held for her daughter Amanda. Today marks 20 years since Amanda and four other children drowned, trapped onboard the overloaded 12-metre cruiser N'Gluka when it capsized and sank off Nelson Bay.
They will lay flowers at a memorial on the Nelson Bay waterfront to honour Amanda and the other children killed with her when the N'Gluka sank on its return from a lunch cruise across Port Stephens on January 8, 1990.
Trapped with Amanda in the cabin below decks were Candice, 7, and Nathan Rutten, 3, of Salamander Bay, and their Sydney cousins Stephanie, 2, and Renee Tawa, six weeks old.
No amount of time could fill the void of losing a child, but coping skills did improve, Ms Frost said. And the Nelson Bay community still rallied around.
At the time of its sinking, the N'Gluka was dangerously overloaded with 49 people on board. Just why the cruiser suddenly tilted and then capsized remains unclear, despite a coronial inquest and ensuing civil proceedings that reached Australia's High Court. N'Gluka skipper and owner Dennis Warner was found guilty in 1990 of culpable navigation and sentenced to periodic detention.
Newcastle Herald, 7 January 2010.
Location
| Address: | Victoria Parade, Nelson Bay, 2315 |
|---|---|
| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -32.719852 Long: 152.145657 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Tragedy |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 08-January-1990 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 08-January-1990 |
| Designer: | Eric Brae |
Dedication
In memory of the five children drowned in the N`Gluka boating tragedy off Snapper Point on 8th January, 1990
Amanda Frost
Aged 5 years
Candice Rutten Candice Rutten
Aged 7 years Aged 3 years
Renne Tawa Stephanie Tawa
Aged 2½ years Aged 6 weeks
In God`s care and forever in our hearts
