A Saturday afternoon on the water quickly turned challenging when two adults were left stranded on mud flats at Fenninghams Island, near Taylors Beach, prompting a swift response from Marine Rescue Lemon Tree Passage (Saturday 21 February).
The initial call for assistance was received by Marine Rescue Port Stephens, before a volunteer crew was deployed on board Marine Rescue NSW vessel Lemon Tree 30 to assist the stranded boaters, whose 5.5-metre half-cabin vessel had become grounded on the outgoing tide.
On arrival, skipper Chris Dando said the situation was complicated by the falling water level. The vessel had been left well and truly stranded.
“The disabled vessel was high and dry. We could see the two people standing on the mud flats but there would have been at least 50 metres of very shallow water between them and the rescue vessel,” Dando explained.
With the tide continuing to fall, the crew of Lemon Tree 30 carefully enacted their shallow water procedures in an effort to close the gap safely, but “there was still a distance,” Dando said.
It was at that critical moment that help arrived from an unexpected quarter. A group of three kayakers happened to be paddling past and offered assistance.
“It was perfect timing because I was fearing that the stranded boaters would have to walk and swim to the rescue vessel across unstable muddy water, which presents numerous challenges,” Dando said.
The kayakers proved invaluable.
“The three kayakers worked seamlessly to transfer the two boaters and their gear over to Lemon Tree 30, where we took the man and woman safely on board.”
Fortunately, the stranded pair were uninjured.
“They were both fine and well and simply got caught out by the fast-running tide and shallow waters, which can happen. It’s really important that boaters check and monitor the conditions and tides because leaving a little bit earlier can make all the difference to an enjoyable day on the water,” Dando said.
The man and woman were transported safely to Soldiers Point. Their vessel refloated on high tide and driven clear without further incident.
“It was very handy that the kayakers came past when they did, they were actually visiting the area from Melbourne. Marine Rescue Lemon Tree Passage thanks them for their assistance in what ended up being a seamless rescue mission,” Dando 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.
