Broken down boats are rescued

Volunteer Marine Rescue Central Coast has rescued two broken down vessels on Friday, November 26.

The radio base was first alerted around 1:30pm of a vessel with three Asian men in trouble just south of Lion Island.

The on-call rescue boat crew, skipper Ted Leeson and Richard Manning, were despatched in Central Coast Lifeboat to assist.

After a long search, the crew found the men near Flint and Steel, a long way west of their reported location.

The men could not start the engine of their 17ft vessel and were towed to calmer conditions at Patonga where a jump start was attempted without success.

Arrangements were made for a Water Police vessel to undertake a tow to the required location at Bobbin Head.

While waiting for the police to arrive, the crew were assigned a second task by the base radio operators.

Once the first vessel was handed over, they were to assist another vessel, a 13 ft tinnie with engine failure said to be between Ettalong and Lion Island.

After another long search, at around 5pm, this vessel was located 100m off Pearl Beach.

The two men from Katoomba needed a tow to Brooklyn.

They were dropped off at the Parsley Bay Ramp.

Media Release, 28 Nov 2010 Ron Cole, Volunteer Marine Rescue NSW