Coast Guard crew rescue boaties in trouble

PORT Welshpool Coast Guard volunteers had a busy Melbourne Cup Day, with several calls for assistance last Tuesday. Weather conditions were certainly not ideal for boating, in fact they were hazardous, with a 25 knot north-westerly blowing and two-metre seas.

“A lot of people go out in conditions not suited to their vessels,” said Port Welshpool Coast Guard Commander Rocco Maruzza. “I would advise people to look at the weather conditions and the forecast before heading out.”

The Coast Guard volunteers were initially summoned to the rescue of a kayaker in trouble in waters off the coast of Wilsons Promontory. The man, aged in his 50s, was paddling an outrigger-style kayak when the stabiliser snapped off, causing the kayak to overturn about four kilometres from Rabbit Island and about eight kilometres off the Prom.

The man was fortunately wearing a lifejacket, and at first his phone was waterproof enough for him to call triple zero. An air ambulance helicopter was dispatched, and intensive care flight paramedic team manager Steve Grove was winched from the helicopter to rescue the man.

“He had been in the water about an hour and was very happy to see me,” Mr Grove said.

“We winched the man into the helicopter and landed nearby so he could be assessed.

The man was a little cold, so he was warmed using a space blanket and was flown to Latrobe Regional Hospital in a stable condition.

“It’s incredibly fortunate the man had the waterproof mobile phone and was wearing a life jacket or the outcome may have been very different.

“It meant he was able to give us directions on exactly where he was, which made rescuing him easier,” Mr Grove said.

By the time the Coast Guard reached the site the kayaker had been rescued, but the volunteers retrieved the kayak with some difficulty and towed it to the back of Rabbit Island, where the waters were quieter. There they disassembled the kayak, including its mast and sail, and took it on board.

Then on their way back to Port Welshpool, at Entrance Point, just inside Corner Inlet, the Coast Guard picked up three other kayakers who had called for help after a separate mishap.

Once these kayakers were dropped off at Port Welshpool, the Coast Guard went out again, this time to Chinaman Beach at the Prom, where they picked up two more men and their folding boat.

Rocco Maruzza, said it was disappointing that none of these people out in kayaks or small boats had a personal location beacon (PLB), which would have helped authorities pinpoint exactly where they were.PORT Welshpool Coast Guard volunteers had a busy Melbourne Cup Day, with several calls for assistance last Tuesday. Weather conditions were certainly not ideal for boating, in fact they were hazardous, with a 25 knot north-westerly blowing and two-metre seas.

“A lot of people go out in conditions not suited to their vessels,” said Port Welshpool Coast Guard Commander Rocco Maruzza. “I would advise people to look at the weather conditions and the forecast before heading out.”

The Coast Guard volunteers were initially summoned to the rescue of a kayaker in trouble in waters off the coast of Wilsons Promontory. The man, aged in his 50s, was paddling an outrigger-style kayak when the stabiliser snapped off, causing the kayak to overturn about four kilometres from Rabbit Island and about eight kilometres off the Prom.

The man was fortunately wearing a lifejacket, and at first his phone was waterproof enough for him to call triple zero. An air ambulance helicopter was dispatched, and intensive care flight paramedic team manager Steve Grove was winched from the helicopter to rescue the man.

“He had been in the water about an hour and was very happy to see me,” Mr Grove said.

“We winched the man into the helicopter and landed nearby so he could be assessed.

The man was a little cold, so he was warmed using a space blanket and was flown to Latrobe Regional Hospital in a stable condition.

“It’s incredibly fortunate the man had the waterproof mobile phone and was wearing a life jacket or the outcome may have been very different.

“It meant he was able to give us directions on exactly where he was, which made rescuing him easier,” Mr Grove said.

By the time the Coast Guard reached the site the kayaker had been rescued, but the volunteers retrieved the kayak with some difficulty and towed it to the back of Rabbit Island, where the waters were quieter. There they disassembled the kayak, including its mast and sail, and took it on board.

Then on their way back to Port Welshpool, at Entrance Point, just inside Corner Inlet, the Coast Guard picked up three other kayakers who had called for help after a separate mishap.

Once these kayakers were dropped off at Port Welshpool, the Coast Guard went out again, this time to Chinaman Beach at the Prom, where they picked up two more men and their folding boat.

Rocco Maruzza, said it was disappointing that none of these people out in kayaks or small boats had a personal location beacon (PLB), which would have helped authorities pinpoint exactly where they were.

Comments are closed.