'Bloody legend': Tributes flow for ski racing driver David Morabito

A father of two has been remembered as a legend of Australian water-ski racing after he died competing in the Southern 80 on the Murray River - the latest fatality at the high-speed event.

The annual river race in Echuca-Moama was suspended on Sunday after three serious incidents resulted in multiple injuries among the competitors.

The most serious incident killed 50-year-old David Morabito, from the Sydney suburb of Grose Vale, New South Wales.

Ski Racing Australia, the regulatory body for ski racing in Australia, confirmed the death in a statement on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Morabito was a highly-respected driver who had been involved with ski racing for many years.

He is survived by his wife, Katrina, son Sean and daughter Alicia.

"I'm crying right now," wrote Sean Morabito on Twitter, saying he was Mr Morabito's son.

"The police showed up at our house and told us the bad news."

Friends, fellow competitors and racing fans called him a "bloody legend" and "a true gentleman of the sport" and have flooded the Southern 80 social media pages with messages of support.

Paul Raicevich, who had competed against Mr Morabito, said he had lost a true mate.

"The weekly phone calls, the years of friendly banter, will be truly missed," he wrote on Facebook.

A team member, Chris Templeton, described himself as "gutted". "I never felt unsafe knowing you were in the boat," he wrote. "Racing will never be the same in my eyes without you mate."

Ski Racing Australia said the incident occurred about 1.20pm during the main race of Sunday's Southern 80.

"It is understood that Mr Morabito, the driver of 2 Ironic, was pulled from the water unconscious near Norris Bend," the statement said.

It's believed his boat flipped in an air pocket, though police described it as a crash and are continuing to investigate.

Paramedics attempted to resuscitate Mr Morabito but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

One of the first paramedics to arrive at the crash site, Anita Stirling, praised those who tried to help, saying they couldn't have done anything more to save him.

"What you did for your mate, getting him out of the water and doing really good and effective CPR, gave him every fighting chance while waiting for us to arrive," she wrote on Facebook.

"You did a brilliant job. You did everything that you could and you deserve to be commended."

Ski Racing Australia chairman Paul Robertson offered condolences to Mr Morabito's family and said the incident had saddened the sport.

Several other incidents marred the popular event this year. One skier hit a buoy, while another hit the water hard, Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said.

A man in his 20s was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious but stable condition with head and spinal injuries, he said.

A woman, believed to be in her 20s, was flown to Bendigo with a neck injury in a stable condition.

Two others were taken to hospital in Echuca: a man in his 40s with shoulder injuries and a man in his 20s in a serious but stable condition with head and neck injuries.

The rest of the day's races were called off.

"Ski Racing Australia and Moama Water Sports Club will offer their deepest condolences and sympathies to the deceased man's family and friends, and will provide all possible support to those involved," the sporting body said in a statement published on the race's Facebook page.

"Ski Racing Australia is not able to make any further comment at this time."

The Southern 80 race sees teams with two skiers pulled through more than 100 bends in the river. Some racers can reach speeds of more than 200km/h.

The annual event attracts competitors from around the world and remains a major tourist draw for the region, but has suffered from multiple deaths in recent years.

Last year, experienced skier Kevin Vahtrik, 47, of Sydney, died during the qualifying round.

In 2010, seven people were injured and veteran skier Tim Driver, 43, died after colliding with another racer.

The fatalities came after the deaths of local man Craig O'Toole, of Rochester, in a high-speed boat crash in the 2007 race, and Sydney skier David Perrotto on a hairpin turn in 2006.

The fifth death in 11 years has triggered a fierce debate online about the future of the sport, with spectators split between those who believe it's too risky and others who say competitors are well-aware of the risks.

John Lomas, president of the Moama Water Sports Club, which runs the annual event, declined to say anything when contacted on Sunday.

"No comment. No comment," he said.

But Campaspe Mayor Adrian Weston said he was confident racing organisers did everything they could to ensure this year's race was as safe as possible.

"Ultimately, it's in their hands around what the future may hold for the race," he said.

"But there would be very few sports where there's not some risk."