Busy weekend for Marine Rescue

Marine Rescue Central Coast was busy with a number of rescues made in the Peninsula area on the weekend beginning Friday, April 12.

The rescues began at around 10am on Friday when volunteer radio operators received a 27MHz marine radio call from the skipper of a 5.5m centre-console runabout east of Box Head.

He reported that there were two people on board and that the recently serviced boat had a mechanical problem.

Assistance to return to safety was requested.

The Friday on-call boat crew, Brendon Weston and Ken Sharp, were contacted and Central Coast 20 was launched.

Once offshore and while searching for "a white boat", the rescue crew observed a spotlight flashing at them.

It was the runabout and it was taken in tow from near West Reef.

The tow back to Blackwall Ramp was completed around 1:30pm.

On Saturday, April 13, around 10:30am, the owner of 4.5m half-cabin runabout with three people on board phoned the base from Orange Grove.

His vessel's engine had failed and assistance was needed to return to Lions Park at Woy Woy.

Brian Warburton and his crew on Central Coast 20 completed the task.

Around 11:10am, the rescue boat and crew were then directed to Pretty Beach to assist a 12.9m Riviera cruiser with three people on board that had ran aground.

The combined efforts of two Marine Rescue boats and a Roads and Maritime vessel could not move the cruiser that was hard on the mud.

Brian Warburton and his crew on Central Coast 20 took the vessel's anchor and dropped it in deep water.

Around 11pm on the 1.7m high tide, the cruiser's crew were able to move the boat back into the channel.

The Marine Rescue crew checked with the owner on Sunday morning to confirm all was well.

About 3pm, Anthony Porter and his crew on Central Coast 20 were sent to Ettalong Beach to assist a personal water craft with engine failure.

The PWC was towed to Lions Park.

On Sunday, April 14, at 5am, the boat crew were called out by the Police Marine Area to assist a Command Quintrex half-cabin runabout with two people aboard which had run aground on the northern side of St Hubert's Island.

Roger Palmer and his crew on Central Coast 20 located the vessel around 6am.

The owner reported that he thought he had water in the fuel.

The vessel was also towed to Lions Park.

Around 2pm, Brian Warburton and his crew on Central Coast 20 were sent to the southern end of Paddy's Channel to assist a six metre ski-boat with five people on board.

The vessel's fuel pump had failed and the owner requested a tow to the Lintern St ramp at Davistown.

Media Release, 14 Apr 2013

Ron Cole, Central Coast Marine Rescue