Experience Feedback
Transport Safety Victoria has posted on its website information about three men who survived 20 hours in the water after their vessel was swamped in bad weather.
Summary of incident
Three friends had been planning a trip for weeks, to spend a day fishing off Queenscliff in their 4.4m Half Cabin.
On 19 February 2011, they woke up early and travelled several hours to Port Phillip Bay. With the weather forecast not looking good, instead of cancelling their trip, the friends changed their Queenscliff plans and opted to launch from Lime Burners in Corio Bay, a place they thought would be more protected from bad weather conditions.
After an initial hour of fishing in the inner harbour of Corio Bay they decided to travel further out to try their luck. They motored out to the outer harbour and anchored.
As the weather deteriorated, the three men decided to return to shore when water started coming over the side of the vessel. The bilge pump could not keep up with the water flowing in which caused the vessel to become unstable and pitch upwards. One of the men went to the stern to bail out the water but the stern went under.
All three were already wearing their personal flotation device’s (PFD). The remainder of their safety gear, however, was now unreachable in the cabin of the vessel.
Within minutes the vessel sunk to the bottom of the bay. The men did not have time to raise the alarm and their mobile phones were lost. Very little of their gear floated to the surface. Of the two torches that were on board, the one that worked sank.
With no way to attract attention or raise the alarm, the men agreed to stick together and to act only on unanimous decisions. Using a prominent landmark as a reference, the men decided to keep moving to stay warm and attempt to swim slowly towards shore.
When the men did not return home as planned, their wives raised the alarm with the authorities and a search commenced. The men watched Search and Rescue helicopters fly above them. However, they remained unseen.
Early the next morning, the men came ashore at Curlewis Bank on the South side of Corio. They managed to get to a farmhouse to raise the alarm. The men were taken to hospital suffering exposure and exhaustion but eventually made a full recovery.
In all, the men spent twenty hours in the water. In discussions afterwards, they agreed that keeping up a positive attitude and talking with each other kept them going through this tough period.
Lessons learnt
When the weather turns and water enters your vessel, the severity of the incident can go from wet feet to a boat sinking in a matter of minutes. This is not the time to rummage for your flares, torch, radio and mobile phone, work out how to put on your PFD or discover that the batteries in your torch are flat.
Half Cabin vessels tend to sink stern first and you may not be able to reach the cabin to grab your gear. Therefore, before the trip:
- Ensure all of your safety equipment is in a conspicuous place so you can grab it quickly in an emergency. Consider a waterproof safety grab bag to keep your flares, torch and Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB) together.
- Buy a comfortable and get in the habit of wearing it at all times.
- When going out on someone else’s boat, bring your own PFD. You never know how the ones on the vessel have been maintained or if they will fit properly.
- Check the condition of your safety equipment before you launch and maintain it like your life depends on it.
- Check your torch batteries and replace if necessary. Purchase a strobe light for your PFD.
- If you change your point of departure, let someone know.
Raising the alarm
TSV recommends that you carry at least two waterproof and buoyant means of raising the alarm. You can’t rely on being able use the one thing you have, or you may not have time to call for help.
Even though EPIRBs are not mandatory for Port Phillip Bay and other enclosed waters, a Global Positioning System (GPS) enabled EPIRB can cut your rescue time down from hours to minutes.
Being able to attract attention or making yourself visible may save your life. You must ensure your lifejacket is in good condition, has reflective tape attached, and is visible.
Emergency procedures
How you manage yourself in an emergency can have a profound effect on your ability to survive the most extraordinary periods in the water.
If the worst happens and you end up in the water, stick together to retain warmth, keep talking positively and remain calm. Make decisions together and agree how you will decide what to do. Although not mandatory, consider undertaking a sea survival skills course or learning some techniques. It may just save your life.
Source : Transport Safety Victoria