Marine Rescue Batemans Bay brings two home safe on Christmas Eve

by Ken McManus on 24 Dec 2014 Two middle aged men were rescued by Marine Rescue Batemans Bay this afternoon after their boat capsized.

At about 1:45pm a passer-by alerted the Watch Officer at the Marine Rescue Base at Batemans Bay that he could see what appeared to be two people in the water near Middle Head.

Skipper Glenn Felkin and off-duty Training Manager South, Glenn Sullivan, who cut short some last-minute shopping to rush to the base, made for the scene in rescue vessel Batemans 20, guided by the Watch Officer, Peter O'Connor, who had located the two men in the water with his binoculars.

The men were taken on board the Marine Rescue vessel and conveyed to the boat ramp at Hanging Rock where Ambulance Officers were waiting.

The men had suffered no serious injury in their ordeal.

Peter O'Connor said the two men had been seen at about 11:30am heading out in a small tinny with very little freeboard. The men had not logged on with Marine Rescue but fortunately for both men, one was wearing a lifejacket.

It was the bright colour of the lifejacket that attracted the attention of the passer-by who reported the sighting to the Marine Rescue base.

Skipper Glenn Felkin said, 'The two men were very lucky. First that at least one of them was wearing a lifejacket and second that they were seen by a member of the public. Marine Rescue NSW urges all boaters to wear a lifejacket when they go out. No exceptions – everyone on board should be wearing one.'

'We strongly recommend that everyone also Log On with their local Marine Rescue base. This is the big annual holiday and boating season and it should be one that makes happy memories.'

Batemans 20 recovered the upturned vessel and returned it to the Hanging Rock boat ramp.