Port Macquarie volunteers recognised nationally for daring boat rescue

Australian Community Media

Marine Rescue Port Macquarie volunteers have been recognised for their courageous rescue on May 14, 2025, when a 15-metre motor cruiser with one person on board suffered complete mechanical failure while attempting to cross the notoriously hazardous Hastings River Bar in Port Macquarie NSW.

Transcript

00:00It hadn't been for their professionalism and quickness and speed, definitely would have had lives lost that day.

00:20We got a phone call from the stress vessel. They had lost all power and required assistance.

00:27They had also lowered their anchor and because they had lowered their anchor and lost power, they couldn't get the anchor back up.

00:34We fortunately had our vessels training in the river and managed to call upon them to come out and assist.

00:42So there was a 50-foot cruiser which was disabled right in the centre of the bar with one person on board.

00:48He had deployed his anchor to stop him washing up onto the rocks,

00:51but it presented certain challenges with assisting him right in the centre of the bar during an outgoing tide.

00:57Being in the middle of a bar during an outgoing tide is not the place you want to be

01:01and certainly not the place you want to be trying to effect a rescue.

01:05So it presented certain challenges with not just getting to the distress vessel, but also ensuring the safety of our crew and our vessel.

01:14Our first job is saving lives on the water and we were able to do that very effectively on this day with a highly trained crew.

01:21And part of it is due to the support we get from our local community that enables us to continually train

01:28because it's a very expensive operation to run and it ensures that we're fit to go whatever the situation might be.

01:35It's a very competitive issue.

01:45So if we're at the bottom of it, we'll be able to focus on what the situation might be.

01:51So, if we're at the bottom of it, we've got to focus on how to organize.

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