Melbourne Cup jetski rescues

Just as volunteer members of Marine Rescue Central Coast were gathering at the Point Clare Base for a Melbourne Cup social event on Tuesday, November 5, the on duty crew received a call from a jetski rider at Ettalong.

The rider had dropped two young women at Lobster Beach and returned to collect another passenger when he found that the impellor on the jetski had failed.

The girls were stranded at Lobster Beach.

The duty boat crew left the scene of the festivities aboard Central Coast 11 with Ken Sharp at the helm.

The young women were transported to Ettalong and re-united with their friends.

As the rescue boat headed north to return to the base the boat crew was advised that the running of the Melbourne Cup was imminent.

As they passed under the Rip Bridge, the skipper of another jetski signalled the boat indicating he needed assistance.

The rescue boat crew were told that it had a fuel pump problem.

The vessel was towed to Blackwall Ramp.

The crew then returned to the Point Clare base to learn that the Cup had been run and that their sweep tickets were not among the winners.

Media release, 7 Nov 2012

Ron Cole, Marine Rescue Central Coast