Rescued from sea – but what price a life?
March 20, 2008
Section: News
LOUISA RUST
While the weekend search and rescue operation to recover two local fishermen cost over $100,000, no one can put a cost on the lives saved as a result.
Ten people in NSW have lost their lives in this year’s boating season – from October 2007 to Easter 2008 – one down from last year’s 11 boating season fatalities.
Josif Necovski of Barrack Heights and Troy Veljanovski of Warilla owe their lives to a piece of perspex, after being rescued from their upturned catamaran on Sunday after 34 hours at sea.
The crew aboard fishing trawler Rockfish I rescued the two men after seeing a reflection from the sheet of broken windscreen.
Captain of the trawler that recovered the men, Rocky Pirello, said they were spotted after his first mate, Joe Greco, saw a reflection in the water.
“He’s actually seen a white shiny thing in the water,” Mr Pirello said.
“I got the binoculars and saw about a kilometre away men waving their hands at us. I got up higher on the bow and saw the boat was capsized. So we proceeded to winch up our gear and go get them.”
Mr Pirello said the men had been “very happy” to see the trawler.
“They said ‘thank God you’re here’,” he said. “They were dehydrated, sunburnt and sore from hanging on for so long. The boat was upside down and underwater.”
The rescued men had left Kiama harbour at 4am on Saturday morning, but their fishing trip took a turn for the worst when they were capsized by a freak wave.
They were reported to have not been wearing life jackets, and had not logged their trip.
According to police, the pair was found at around 2.15pm on Sunday clinging to the overturned 4.5 metre catamaran, about five nautical miles east of Burelli Lake, near Ulladulla.
NSW Maritime is urging boat users to take precautions before and while out on the water to minimise the risk of accidents.
People taking boats offshore are also advised to report their trip with a coastal radio base before they leave, wear a lifejacket and take an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) with them.