The Batemans Bay weekend duty crew of Marine Rescue Batemans Bay were kept busy over the weekend with a number of rescues and training excercises. On Saturday afternoon, crews were performing man-overboard drills in the Bay, when a call came in from the radio room for an overdue vessel in the Clyde River. As the larger BM30 vessel was unable to traverse the river the crew decided to switch to the unit's BM20 vessel to check on the welfare of the overdue vessel.
Within minutes of readying BM20, a member of the public reported a capsized kayak in rough water near the marina and two people in the water. BM20 arrived arrived on the scene approximately 5 minutes after the initial call came in, and crew members assisted 2 people from the water. It was decided to take the kayak under tow and return them safely to the nearby boat ramp, arriving approximately 10 minutes later. Upon dropping the kayakers off safely, the crew were informed that the overdue vessel in the Clyde River was safely back onshore.
On Sunday morning, a vessel who was logged on with the unit, contacted the radio room requesting a tow approximately 3 miles east of Durras. A crew responded promptly and after locating the vessel, returned it and the occupants safely to the Hanging Rock boat ramp. Upon finishing that job, the crew were tasked to a second job for a broken down jet ski near Black Rock. Fortunately by the time rescue crews arrived in the area, the owner had resolved the problem and was soon on his way again.
This is a timely reminder to all boaters in the lead up to the summer boating season, to check local conditions, ensure you carry the correct safety gear (including the required life jackets), and always log on for your journey.
This weekend, almost all contact in these cases was made with radio club members who were logged on. This ensured that crews had timely and accurate contact and vessel information when required. Report courtesy of Marine Rescue Batemans Bay
