Marine Rescue Tuggerah Lakes’ volunteers search for missing kayaker
by Ken McManus on 5 Jan 2015
Marine Rescue Tuggerah Lakes rescue vessel Ken McManus
Volunteers from Marine Rescue Tuggerah Lakes were called out at 11:00pm last night to search for a 46 year old man from the Canton Beach caravan park who had not returned from a kayaking trip.
Relatives of the missing man had waited several hours before raising the alarm with local police.
Unit Commander Stewart Masters called in crew members to operate the two Tuggerah Lakes rescue vessels. A search plan was established and the two vessels followed this plan until 3 o’clock this morning when police postponed the search until daylight.
The search had been under way for an hour today when news came that the missing man had returned to the caravan park after sheltering all night on an uninhabited shore.
It was reported that this was the man’s first experience with a kayak and he had not been on Tuggerah Lakes before. He had left his lifejacket, mobile phone and water in his car.
Stewart Masters said 'It was great news to hear that the man was safe and had returned to his family.
'Marine Rescue NSW urges all boaters and users of water craft like kayaks and stand-up paddle boards to put on their lifejackets before they get afloat.
'We also encourage them to Log On with their local Marine Rescue unit to let us know where they are going and when they are due back. This simple safety strategy ensures that someone responsible knows when they are due to return. If anything prevents the boater from Logging Off when due, we will take immediate action to find out why, and, if necessary, start a search.'
Marine Rescue NSW also urges all family members and friends of boaters who are overdue, to contact local police or their local Marine Rescue radio base when they first become aware that someone is not back when they said they would be.
Unit Commander Masters said, 'It is vital that all boaters and water-craft users are vigilant during the holiday season when so many more people and vessels are on the water.
'We strongly recommend that all water craft users also carry a mobile phone. Already in this holiday period, other Marine Rescue units on the NSW coast have gone to help a stand-up paddle boarder and boogie boarders who were being swept to sea on outgoing tides.'
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