Marine Rescue active over Easter

The volunteers from Marine Rescue Central Coast were rostered for duties during the entire Easter long weekend.

On Good Friday, the duty crew assisted three vessels.

The rescue boat, Centaco 011, was flagged down at around 11.20am by two people on board a cabin runabout off Noonan's Point.

The vessel's engine had failed and the men requested a tow to Gosford boat ramp, which skipper Norm Smith and his crew provided.

Centaco 011 was again flagged down at midday when it reached the Blackwall Channel.

Two men and four children in a 5.5 metre bow-rider had a mechanical problem and needed help to get back to Lions Park at Woy Woy.

The Newcastle Police called upon the Central Coast unit at 3pm to assist a man in a cabin timber who had unsuccessfully launched on the Saratoga side of Paddy's Channel.

With skipper Bren Weston in charge, Centaco 011 located the vessel stuck in an oyster lease and towed it to the wharf at Koolewong.

The boat was equipped with a marine radio.

However, the owner said that he did not know how to use it and had therefore phoned emergency services for assistance instead.

On Easter Saturday, a radio request for assistance was received at around 11.30am, transmitted from a man who could not restart the engine on his five metre outboard runabout in Paddy's Channel.

Duty skipper Cameron Veacock on Centaco 011 towed the vessel to the Restella Ramp at Davistown.

Around midday, the crew received another radio call to assist an eight metre Bayliner cruiser with a mechanical failure near The Rip Bridge with six people onboard.

The crew assisted the boat in its return to Lions Park at Woy Woy.

Finally, on Easter Monday, just after 10.30am, skipper Ted Leeson on Centaco 011 responded to a marine radio call from a 4.9m vessel at East Reef which was in trouble with an overheating engine.

As the seas were quite lumpy, it was a long slow tow back to Lions Park at Woy Woy.

Media Release, 12 Apr 2012

Ron Cole, Marine Rescue Central Coast

Photo: Marine Rescue