Volunteers from Marine Rescue Woolgoolga answered the call to assist two fishermen stranded off Bundagen on the NSW Mid North Coast last night.
Marine Rescue NSW Inspector John Murray said the skipper of a 5 to 6-metre runabout contacted Marine Rescue Coffs Harbour radio operators around 5pm after his vessel suffered a complete electrical failure.
“The two men were stranded 8 nautical miles (15 km) east of Bundagen.
“A volunteer crew from Marine Rescue Woolgoolga was immediately deployed on board Woolgoolga 30 to assist the stricken vessel, with the Marine Rescue Coffs Harbour boat offline for refurbishment works,” Inspector Murray said.
Woolgoolga 30 skipper Mitch Harvey said sea conditions were fair en route to the disabled vessel, but he and his crew had to keep a close watch for migrating whales.
“It was pitch black and there were dozens of whales.
“We ended up travelling further south than expected, with the disabled vessel drifting 3 nautical miles from its initial reported position.
“We located the vessel just after 8pm. The crew on board used a torch to signal their location as they had no power,” Harvey said.
A towline was secured to the disabled vessel for the return to Coffs Harbour.
“Conditions deteriorated on the return leg, with gusty winds and two-metre seas. It was a slow trip back. I was watching the radar very closely for whales on the surface — they were scattered everywhere,” Harvey said.
The two fishermen and their disabled vessel were safely returned to the Coffs Harbour boat ramp at 10:30pm, before the Woolgoolga 30 crew returned to base.
“Because of the number of whales in the water and the challenging conditions, we travelled back to Arrawarra at just over 10 knots and didn’t return to base until just after 12:30am this morning (Monday 30 June),” Harvey said.
Inspector Murray is reminding boaters to take extra caution during whale migration season.
“When whales are present, boaters must not come within 100 metres of a whale, or 300 metres of a whale and calf.
“If a whale surfaces near your vessel, it is important to cut your motors and reduce to a safe speed.
“Boaters should always Log On with Marine Rescue NSW, either via the free Marine Rescue NSW app or VHF Channel 16.
“Logging On saves vital time in the event of an emergency and ensures our dedicated volunteers keep watch for your safe return,” he said.
Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and supporting local communities.
