Nissan Patrol involved in fatal Horrocks Beach cliff plunge accident retrieved in mammoth recovery effort

The Nissan Patrol which fell off the edge of a cliff on Sunday morning has been retrieved using a tow truck, two days after the tragic accident took the lives of two young Geraldton men. Mid West-Gascoyne Police District Superintendent Steve Post confirmed the wrecked vehicle had been recovered on Tuesday afternoon with no reported difficulty from those on scene. Friends Matthew Farr and Louis Eeles, both 22, died when the Nissan Patrol drove off the edge of a cliff near Sandy Gully, north of Horrocks, and plunged up to 30m in the early hours of Sunday morning while the back seat passenger survived and climbed up the steep rock face and walked for an unknown period of time for help. The men had been camping nearby with three others, and had decided to go four-wheel driving around midnight. The recovery operation was left in the hands of the major crash investigations unit, and is ongoing, with the vehicle to remain subject to further investigations. The 4WD was taken to Geraldton and will be examined. “They’ll conduct further investigations to double check that there were no other contributing factors but right now there is every indication that it’s just a tragic accident,” Supt Post said. The length of the investigation is unclear, but Supt Post said it depended on what was uncovered. “It could be weeks it could be months, but I think it’ll be pretty contained, as I said it’s a tragic accident,” he said. The crash occurred on private property, in an area that had no signage indicating it was a cliff face. “I’m sure that matters in relation to signage will be a matter for the coroner and that is something they might consider in their deliberations,” Supt Post said. Supt Post said the sole survivor of the crash, a 21-year-old Geraldton local, was in a stable condition in Royal Perth Hospital and still receiving medical attention for spinal and neck injuries. Tributes from family and friends have flowed since Mr Parr and Mr Eeles’ deaths, with the ocean-loving pair described as “beautiful souls” with “hearts of gold” who were “always having fun”.