News & Media

Marine Rescue Wooli today responded to a vessel in difficulty approximately 3 nautical miles SE of Wooli after receiving a report from a local professional fisherman – one of the few vessels offshore off Wooli that morning.  The two men on the broken down 4.0m vessel attracted attention by waving a PFD and holding a V sheet up. The radio on board was not working – it could receive but not transmit, and neither man had a mobile phone. The skipper indicated that the radio probably experienced some water problems as a result of being exposed to torrential rain in the last week.

This same vessel was involved in an incident on the Wooli Bar entrance on the June Long weekend where motor problems had caused it to stall leaving the crew to row back out to sea across the bar before being able to anchor, raise the alarm and wait for a rescue response from Wooli.  Again the vessel experienced motor problems with the skipper unable to restart the motor after it failed. With a strong offshore wind, the vessel was drifting east away from land and was unable to safely anchor to await help.

Marine Rescue Wooli responded with the local professional fisherman standing by with the stricken vessel until the Wooli rescue vessel reached the scene. The rescue crew removed the two men from the vessel and towed the vessel through worsening conditions back to Wooli.  It is essential that when venturing to sea, vessel skippers radio a local radio base – to make sure their radio is working and to log on thus ensuring ensure that someone knows where they are going and their return time. Not knowing can result in a critical loss of time in beginning a search thereby placing lives at risk.

It is also essential that vessel skipper make sure that all the required mandatory emergency equipment on board and is good working condition – you’re the skipper, you’re responsible!

Stephen Reading
Regional Coordinator Northern Rivers