Very Lucky People
Got a phone call at 1930 from Gnaraloo station reporting 2 sixty year old windsurfers had failed to come in as planned at 1600. Rang Water Police for instructions and put our crews on standby, organised extra fuel and food plus relief crew to be taken up to the bay while waiting for the search plane to reach the area. Plan was to head off at 0300 and arrive off the bay at around first light
Got a call confirming our plans and the go ahead about 2100, informed all involved, notified work and went to bed. Woke up to a conversation on the VHF between water police and the dornier search plane that they had located the second bloke on a beach and were directing the shore party to him, the first bloke had got to shore around 2230. So it was back on the phone to confirm with water police, stand down crews, cancel fuel and food and try to get back to sleep.
Two bloody lucky people, there is no way I would like to be in the water at night up there and have to come over the reef anytime is scary.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
This time, good safe ending
2 lucky people a lot of work done by safety group that took up a lot of time but, luckily their misadventure ended with all accounted for and safe.
Rob H
Posts: 5810
Date Joined: 18/01/12
news reports
windsurfers or kitesurfers?
Difference being kitesurfers can travel downwind a hell of a lot faster
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Not Sure
Not sure, either way it seem the wind dropped and they were outside the break off the bay not off the 3 mile where most of them usually go.
Lucky they are still here and not shark shirt
opsrey
Posts: 1200
Date Joined: 05/10/07
Shark shit
apparently they would be more likely to die in a car crash driving to the beach, than become shark shit after dark
Willlo
Posts: 1490
Date Joined: 07/10/11
lol
lol
Call Sign - BZ785
Haynes Hunter Prowler CC
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Good news
And two very lucky surfers....
Great to show what is involved in a rescue with all the behind the scene details, food, back ups & organisation of man power.
Well done
Cheers & Stay safe
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Agree that report by canarvonite
Is very enlightening and informing people of just how much organisation and gathering of resources is involved in mounting a search for some one reported missing at sea.
A good post and eye opener for those who think it's just a matter of giving a couple of the local lads a shout and jumping on board a boat and heading off in the wide blue yonder.
All of us who venture out on the ocean owe a big thank you to the VMR groups who watch over us to see that we get home again safely.
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Not an easy one
It wouldn't have been an easy one if we did have to go. Gnaraloo Bay is approx 75nm north and in those sea conditions we would have been able to cruise on around 30 knots = 110 litres and hour, so there is roughly 2 1/2 hours travel before you start looking. Minimum of 3 crew so would have to send a relief crew up in my Nissan [has a VHF fitted for ship to shore to plane communication] plus organise the boys at SES to bring up 4 x 200 litre drums plus pump and hose to refuel if the search extends for any length of time. Food for the starving is also another one to work in plus accommodation if it goes over the next night, [that should have been the easy one with most of us having swags and one would think , empty cottages on the station.
Lots to do but thankfully not needed and cancelled before putting the plan in to action, they are lucky to be still with us