Marine Rescue NSW volunteers have returned four fishermen safely to shore following a seven-and-a-half-hour mission off Shellharbour overnight.
Marine Rescue NSW received a call for help just after 6pm Sunday after the engine failed on a six to seven metre centre console boat.
Marine Rescue vessel Shellharbour 30 was tasked to rescue the four men who were around 40 kilometres offshore at the time of the call.
Marine Rescue Illawarra Zone Duty Operations Manager Stuart Massey said conditions were tough.
SH 30 requested the skipper onboard the distressed vessel put up some flares to assist with narrowing down their location just before 10pm.
“Conditions were challenging on the way out and the way back,” Mr Massey said.
“With the sea mist and smoke haze it was difficult to locate the distressed vessel hence the request for flares to pin-point their location,” he said.
The volunteer crew onboard Shellharbour 30 reached the fishermen at 10.44pm who were around 33 kilometres offshore after the disabled vessel had drifted.
The distressed vessel was towed back to the Shellharbour Marina at Shell Cove with the fisherman returned to land around 2am Monday morning.
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