Marine Rescue trawler assistance update

by Ken McManus on 17 Mar 2015 Following last night’s Marine Rescue Jervis Bay emergency pump-out of a 17.5m fishing trawler taking water off Jervis Bay, MRNSW Illawarra Regional Controller Bruce Mitchel reports that the emergency repairs to the damaged hull have held.

The trawler stayed overnight in the shelter of Jervis Bay and earlier this morning the skipper continued the interrupted voyage to Ulladulla where repairs works are scheduled.

The trawler skipper advised Marine Rescue Jervis Bay that no further assistance was required and thanked the volunteers for their timely response to the trawler’s call for help. The trawler is currently on the way to Ulladulla and Marine Rescue Ulladulla advises that they are standing by in case further help is needed.

Marine Rescue Jervis Bay skipper Peter Kielar said, 'When we reached the trawler last night the skipper told us they estimated they had less than half an hour left before the incoming water would cause the vessel to sink.'

'We started our emergency pump immediately. It has a 100mm (4 inch) hose and it pumped a steady, fast stream of water out of the trawler for around 90 minutes before the skipper could see where the damage was letting in the sea,' he said.

Regional Controller, Bruce Mitchell said, 'Emergency, high volume pumps are standard equipment on Marine Rescue vessels and an incident like this shows how important this equipment can be.'

'Our volunteers from Jervis Bay are to be congratulated on their fast, efficient response to this call for help. This incident is also an important reminder to all skippers about the value of marine radios and knowledge of where the nearest Marine Rescue bases are located in case of emergencies,' he said.