Marine rescues in rough weather

Marine Rescue Central Coast made a number of rescues around the Peninsula in rough weather on Sunday, June 12.

The Point Clare base rescued a man in a dinghy who had blown ashore a few hundred metres south of Lions Park.

The base had responded to a call at around 11:30am that the man was lost and stranded.

He had set off from Woy Woy to retrieve a lost dinghy that had been located the day before by the NSW Maritime BSO at St Hubert's Island.

Once on the water conditions deteriorated with gale force winds and heavy rain, the dinghy capsized.

The man could make no headway; became disoriented and was blown ashore.

He told the operator he did not know where he was but thought he could be on St Hubert's Island.

Skipper Alan Howes and his crew on board Central Coast Lifeboat set out in the appalling conditions to see if they could assist.

The boat crew found the man and his dinghy on the shore and towed him to safety at Woy Woy wharf.

The phone at the base was again busy from 3:15pm with reports of a seven metre motor cruiser which had lost its mooring failure and was floating free "up the channel", heading north from Pretty Beach.

The vessel was found safe on the mud flats north of the Rip Bridge.

Details of the vessel's registration were reported to NSW Maritime to enable the owner to be contacted.

Around 5:15pm, the base received yet another phone call for help.

A seven and a half metre yacht was unable to restart its motor.

While the yacht was safe on a public mooring, the two people on board said they were desperate to get back to the Woy Woy.

Once again Alan Howes and his crew took the lifeboat out in "white out" conditions.

The owner was unable to jump start his vessel so the boat was towed to safety at Woy Woy Public Wharf.

Media Release, 24 Jun 2011 Ron Cole, Marine Rescue NSW