A VOLUNTEER Marine Rescue crew from Hastings found the water at Middle Bank in Western Port too shallow to assist a boat which had run aground, just after midnight, Sunday 12 July.
“The occupants were concerned about waves breaking over the 6.75-metre vessel,” VMR president Neil Cooper said. “When VMR’s TX1 arrived, the boat was in too shallow water to assist. However, with an incoming tide, they were able to get themselves off.
“This is an extremely dangerous piece of water and it is best to give it a very wide berth.
“VMR has assisted many vessels there, some, unfortunately, not able to be retrieved due to the shallow water and extreme wave action.”
VMR’s Hastings vessel also towed a boat which had run out of fuel to Warneet. “As all of this was happening, one of our members was cruising home after a morning’s fishing and came across a vessel with engine issues,” Mr Cooper said. “He assisted that boat back to Hastings.”
He said rescue crews “covered a lot of miles in 25 hours”.
Earlier, on Port Phillip, a Volunteer Marine Rescue Mornington crew assisted a broken down boat from the other side of the bay, Saturday afternoon 11 July.
“It had come from Werribee for a spot of fishing, but then broke down requiring assistance,” VMR president Neil Cooper said.
“Mornington’s vessel AK1 attended and towed the 4.57-metre vessel with three people aboard to Martha Cove while a relative drove the trailer around to collect them.
“Although we always try to return vessels to the ramp they launch from, sometimes it is just too far to tow. In this instance we were directed by Water Police to tow to the nearest safest harbour.”
First published in the Western Port News – 15 July 2020
