Ever rescued anybody in trouble?

[Angla]

In light of comments made by some about a recent incident at Wellington, Has anyone here ever rescued a distressed boatie?


I had an incident many years back now when travelling past the top of moreton towards Flinders.

Travelling at a fairly great rate, in between the swells I noticed a red light like a flare (never seen one before)as I peaked on a swell the lost sight of it immediately . On looking more intently I could not see it again but thought I could see a small amount of smoke (were talking very small). So I stopped and just sat there for probably 2 minutes.
As the captain I decided it was more important to investigate further and travelled probably 1 nmile before spotting a small tinnie at least the same distance from Moreton and drifting towards Noosa.
The owner said that four boats had gone past and he had used all his flares and that he had used his last night flare to attract me.
I towed him and his four year (maybe) old son back to Moreton and I must say they were looking pretty desperate from that short time in trouble (the motor would not start).

Do you stay vigilant for distress signals?

Are you just concerned with looking for bird activity?

Could you have kept going given you seeing the same lack of signal or would you investigate further at the possible cost of a fishing trip?

Angla

[Black_Jack]

Best i have done is towed a boat back to the boat ramp at jacobs well (i think that was the one) after they had run out of fuel. They were very thankful.

But on a sader note in one of my older boats i had engine failure just outside wellington point, managed to flag down a boat. He came over to tell me that he wouldnt help me and that i should call the coast guard or vmr as thats what they were there for. i would have only been few km from the ramp.

[Mad_fisherman]

Yeah no great rescue story a few weeks back. I was coming back in the bar at the bottom of Frazer and noticed a boat in the bar that did not seem to be moving so went over to ask them if they were all right. There boat would not go at all tried to jump it with a jump pack we had in our boat. No luck so we ended up towing them back to the boat ramp they came from. Very nice people etc offered us drinks chips etc all they pretty much had in there boat they were very grateful for us stopping by we said nope hopefully someone would do the same for us. The bloke asked us where we were staying we told him where in tin can bay and I thought nothing else of it. A few days later this fella turns up with half a carton of jimmy cans and some marks for the area. Turns out he was the local minister. Really nice bloke and more then thankful.

Also same trip different day we were heading back to snapper creek and I noticed a bloke had the top of his motor anchored up off a bank went over to see if he was alright turned out he was cleaning his spark plug while waiting for the fish to bite. Very amusing different way to fill in time whilst fishing I guess.

Cheers

MAD!

[krazyfisher]

I have a couple of times once was a 12ft tinny father and daughter(about 7) motor would not start.
the second time I was in a 12ft tinny with a 15hp and towed a 26ft bertrum back to the ramp maybe only 2km that was a long trip.

I would do it for anyone I just might need the same sometime

[Jeremy]

Travelling at a fairly great rate, in between the swells I noticed a red light like a flare (never seen one before)as I peaked on a swell the lost sight of it immediately .
Angla

Interesting post Angla. Question: was the red light clearly different to a red nav light or would it be easy to confuse the two?

Jeremy

[bidkev]

Got a radio call (club network) back in the UK once and proceeded to location only to find a certain bloke in the water and his boat under. From my knowledge of this bloke, it seemed that life had dealt him a bum deal, despite him being a really good bloke. If anything could go wrong....it would happen to him

He was fishing solo in his brand new 15footer and had fell asleep. The first thing he noticed was when he slid off his seat and realised that the boat was going under stern first.

Seems he'd anchored up at slack low waiting for the tide to turn and on the turn, his boat had swung round and copped the (too short) warp on his prop. As the tide rose, his boat didn't The tide rises 10 metres in that kneck of the wood so ample anchor warp is a must.

He only had bought packet bait that day (Murphies Law) so hadn't packed a knife and couldn't cut the warp. A prime example of the proverb that if one thing can go wrong, then more things will go wrong.

kev

[gif]

It astounds me how selfish / lazy some people are.

I was in the Nerang with our 10ft when 14ft in front seemed to stop in the channel . it took a few minutes to tow him to the beach at a park on the river bank ... easy.

But in all that traffic no one else stopped. Not even slowed down but plenty looked.


A question- that guy in the story above who stopped but refused to help - didn’t he break some law?

Gary

[Freeeedom]

I've towed a few home from Deception and Bramble bays following breakdowns, but one guy I helped stands out. He flagged me down in the South Passage bar near the entrance to the Rous Channel. He said his battery had gone flat and he couldn't start his motor. When I saw his battery I couldn't believe it. The terminals were so corroded that they were just a ball of blue-green junk. In order to try to start the motor he was holding the bare wire from the leads against the battery to try to make a connection. You've got to wonder why anyone would leave the ramp with their equipment in that condition. They are just asking for trouble. I got him started with my battery and hopefully he didn't stop until he got home.
Cheers Freeeedom

[AaronF]

Picked up some overweight American tourist floudering between the wrecks and the shore @ Tangas one mid week day a few years back. Seems he had been snorkelling and hadn't accounted for the tidal flow through there. I was just motoring looking for weed beds at the Northern end and spotted this rather large animal floating along. I motored over and spotted the fear in his eyes as I asked if he needed a hand. Backup up to him and switched to Nuetral, took a look into the water and saw he was at least 150 kg with my brother and I no chance of getting him on board unless we gaffed him. Threw him a lifejacket and a rope we tied off to the boat and proceeded to tow him to shore. Very releived family on the beach and a guy unbelievably happy to have sand between his toes again. Reckon he had about 3 minutes before he was under for good and feeding the local noah population. Always pays to have the eyes open as you see all sorts of things out there.

[bidkev]

It astounds me how selfish / lazy some people are.

I was in the Nerang with our 10ft when 14ft in front seemed to stop in the channel . it took a few minutes to tow him to the beach at a park on the river bank ... easy.

But in all that traffic no one else stopped. Not even slowed down but plenty looked.


A question- that guy in the story above who stopped but refused to help - didn’t he break some law?

Gary

Yes, Gary. I'm almost certain that under maritime law, one is legally obliged to render all possible assistance to a vessel in distress. I vaguely remember that this law was invoked on U Boat commanders in the Nuremberg trials of WW11.

kev

[ahjayem]

G'day All

In nearly forty years of “outside” fishing and boating I’ve been involved in three towing episodes, twice as the “captain” of the towing boat and once as a “deckie” of the towing boat.

First time was in the late sixties off Shute Harbour, our boat was in a party of three boats that had gone to one of the reefs off Hayman Island, with one of the boats having serious motor problems just after we left the reef for home. Our boat a 16ft bondwood was elected to do the tow as we had the most fuel available. It was quite a long tow. The weather was on our side, and fortunately we had sufficient fuel to complete the tow.

The second time was when I was stationed at Palm Island. We noticed a white guy rock hopping along the shore on the seaward side of the island. On closer investigation I found out it was my neighbour and friend. He had a mate on board, with a motor which wouldn’t work. The mate stayed with the boat in a small bay, while the owner went to get help. Firstly we picked up the neighbour and went a bit further on to take the boat in tow.

The most recent was when another mate who lived opposite our beach property came over in a bit of a lather because his son had just phoned him via a mobile phone to advise that the son’s boat a 7+ metre aluminium based on a Formula hull had broken down on an out going tide at the mouth of Rollingstone Creek. Again I went to the rescue in a 12ft tinny powered by a 15hp motor. End result another successful tow.

It was good to be able to help these guys.

Looking forward, I hope in any future towing situation that I am always the “tower”, and not the “towee”

Tight Lines

RJM

[2iar]

I'm almost certain that under maritime law, one is legally obliged to render all possible assistance to a vessel in distress. I vaguely remember that this law was invoked on U Boat commanders in the Nuremberg trials of WW11.

kev

I've (thankfully) never had the need to offer or require assistance, however I recall a conversation with one of the blokes running the course when I was doing my boat licence...

He was basically saying that he would refuse to tow a boat that had, for example, run out of fuel as it could "burn out" his own motor. Obviously he'd assist the crew by taking them aboard and back to land, but would leave the boat where it was. Perhaps the obligation is to the safety of the crew, rather then the stricken vessel itself?

I really wouldn't know one way or the other, just seeking opinion.

Good luck,
Mike

[roz]

Interesting topic in view of whats been going on lately.

Yes, I've responded to an SOS, a boat was sinking off middle creek.

Cut a ong story short, got to them in time. IMO they shouldn't have been out on the water in the boat they were in, it was a home made job and the hull had split, the motor stopped.....then their pump wouldn't work.

Happy ending.

One evening a few years later, we were having a BBQ on our veranda (Agnes Water), was about 8 or 9 at night when I saw what I believed to be a flare, some of the others thought it was a fire cracker, and the rest said "could have been a flare, but someone else is bound to ring up".

Turned out to be from a trawler in trouble.... and yes, we did ring up, but were only one of three calls. Makes you think.

roz

[shaman]

My wife & I snapped a sheer pin down the pin many years ago and were rowing to safety when a guy in a trailer sailer pulled alongside tied us to & helped us on board. As it happened he was heading to Redland Bay as were we. On board he shared nibblies and his overwhelming supply of freezing cold brews and we putted along chatting, eating & drinking all the way back to Reddy Bay. What was a painful experience turned out to be a very relaxing afternoon on the water. Thanx matey wherever u are.

[Mad_fisherman]

All,
You know what is really good about this thread, it is to see that in 99% of cases we/us fellow fishing people have helped one another out in such a large community where there is bickering and the like at times it is good to see a positive thread with lots of tingly happy ending type stories yeah people do silly things but it is great to know people all band together and help out. The last post was the tinglyest one I think hehe.

Well done fellow fishing people I take my hat off to all who have help out the distressed

Cheers

MAD!