Rescue sparks plea

Friday December 01, 2023

THERE are renewed calls for a marine rescue service at Port MacDonnell after a serious marine incident recently.

Anglers Mark Adams and Eion Lawler were about 350 metres from shore fishing when an estimated three-and-a-half metre wave capsized their boat on November 18.

Mr Adams was able to swim to shore while Mr Lawler was taken out about another 150 metres before being able to climb onto a reef where he waited close to two hours for rescue.

A marine rescue helicopter travelled from Warrnambool to winch Mr Lawler from the reef to safety before he and Mr Adams were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Mr Adams said the two were around Jones Bay near Cape Douglas and were starting to travel home before the mammoth wave took over.

"I wasn't anchored and we rode over a few little waves coming in and then all of a sudden we looked out and it just didn't look right," Mr Adams said.

"The water had sucked out a bit and then the next wave that came through just kept rising up.

"I said we would be right but it rose up about another four feet and by the time it had come, to where we were sitting, it would have been about three and a half metres."

Mr Adams said there was not enough time to "power up the boat" to ride the wave because by the time it had come through, he was looking over the top of the wave with the boat taking them backwards.

After the boat capsized, Mr Lawler was pushed towards the reef by more waves before he managed to get on top of the reef where he waited for help.

"I had no hope of getting anywhere near a reef so I gradually let the ride drift me into shore and I swam a bit when I could," Mr Adams said.

"I have been driving boats since I could drive a car and I have never seen anything like that before in my whole life." Mr Lawler said the whole incident was "pretty scary" especially while he was sitting on the reef waiting for help.

"My phone was still working the entire time so I managed to call my partner and I was also on the phone to the ambulance," Mr Lawler said.

"I was so relieved once I got on that reef because I was involved in a similar incident about 30 years ago." He said when he was on the reef he was "rattling" due to being cold but the adrenaline mindset kicked in, putting him into survival mode.

"I was black and blue but that didn't worry me," he said.

"My feet and everything was all cut up from the reef." Mr Adams said he was also grateful his dog, who was with them in the boat, was able to get to safety and was found.

He is now waiting for his boat to be rebuilt.

The two fishermen agreed a marine rescue service based in Port MacDonnell would have saved a lot of time for their rescue with Mr Adams concerned about professional fishers, recreational fishers and cray fishermen.

"We definitely need a marine rescue here because there are professionals in large boats and there are a lot of recreational boats which come in," Mr Adams said.

"There is also the tuna competition and Christmas holidays and crayfishing which can be dangerous because you can snag your pots and round your motor so I cannot understand why they have one at Kingston and not here."

Coast Guard South East marine radio operator Robert Stewart said with the South East as part of the shipwreck coast it already had records of capsizes and boating breakdowns.

"Marine rescue is one of our main concerns, especially after we have had some fatalities," Mr Stewart said.

"If we cannot get a marine rescue the next best outcome would be a rescue helicopter or something else to help but it would also be nice for the state government to come down and sit and listen to the people and their family members, volunteers and fishermen who have had to help out."

He said since beginning his position about 15 years ago he had noticed the amount of incidents relating to boats has slowly increased.

"With the amount of calls and the amount of incidents lately it is just a matter of time before it turns into a ticking time bomb and we have a fatal incident," Mr Stewart said.

Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell said the incident highlighted exactly what he and the community had been saying for a number of years.

"We need to see a funding commitment and it is one of those things where you do not want a tragedy to be the catalyst for investment when we have been calling on it for the last 10 years," Mr Bell said.

"It is something that is needed and it is not just a physical facility and specialist equipment, it is actually the training which goes along with it.

"That is an important point that a lot of people miss, whether they are fishermen or people out there on recreational pursuits they may not be trained in how to perform a rescue safely and to the best standard."

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