Five deaths and multiple injuries in 11 years at the annual event on the Murray River in Echuca has raised some serious questions about the viability of Australia's biggest water ski race. 

The liberal argument for leaving the thrill seekers to it is valid up to a point – and perhaps we have reached that point. 

What of the families left to deal with these tragedies? The family of 50-year-old David Morabito, from the Sydney suburb of Grose Vale, New South Wales, who died on Sunday. 

Or the family of a 51-year-old Sydney man, who died in the 2016 race.

What of the spectators in the crowd, those mentally scarred by what they have seen?

Yes these men and women competing are aware of the risks, but is everyone else?

On Monday the paper spoke with a third-placed finisher at the race, a young man who had experienced something similar while skiing in Sydney.

He spoke of being unflustered by the weekend’s event, but did suggest the river, to the unprepared, was a dangerous place. 

Organisers and police are aware of the risks – but there is only so much they can do to sanitise the environment. 

Rivers are rivers, murky and full of jagged tree stumps.

But the Murray River, with its narrow sections and treacherous corners, is not the ideal setting for a high-speed water ski race. 

There is a school of thought which suggests the constant traffic on the water is making the underwater environment more dangerous for skiers. 

The constant lapping of the water may drag sediment and overgrowth from the river banks into the centre of the river, causing additional obstacles for skiers. 

The ecology of the river, once awash with Murray cod, will also be impacted by the ceaseless drone of high-octane boats. 

And finally, there is the recreational fishermen and boaters, who are reluctant to use the river throughout late December-January because of the steady flow of practicing skiers.

The Southern 80 is undoubtedly a prestigious international ski race, but is it doing more harm than good?

- William Vallely, reporter