Recently the result of poor boat preparation and lack of quality boat hire were clearly demonstrated when we saved three people from their sinking motorboat off Williamstown. It doesn’t matter how far off shore you are when your boat starts to go down – you are in trouble. Find out what happened next ...

Our fleet manager was out on the water running a new member through our comprehensive training program on a Sunday in late October when they encountered a speed boat in distress off Williamstown. With water lapping over the side of the boat, clearly they were in imminent danger of sinking. Our crew put their training into action by rendering immediate assistance and then towed them back to Beacon Cove.

We found out later that it was a new boat purchased that morning and the skipper was on his maiden voyage and hadn’t done any boat testing or familiarity with it. When his engine broke down it started a series of events culminating in a situation the skipper couldn’t control and when water started to flood the boat it was only a matter of minutes before the three people on board would be swimming for their lives.

With without quality boat hire, insufficient life jackets and not the right safety equipment on board they were about to be the subject of tragic headlines. It is pure luck that our boat found them when they did and rescued them. They subsequently got rapped over the knuckles by the water police, but worse they could have lost their lives in an unnecessary accident.

Our club is all about having fun on the water, but underlying that our number one value and concern is the safety of our members and this unfortunate episode that could have ended so tragically emphasises the need and our priority on safety training for our members and their families.

Nov 11th, 20150 comments