A Sunday afternoon whale spotting turned into a full scale rescue mission and a lucky escape for one keen paddle boarder.
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The vigilance of a concerned member of the public and the prompt intervention of surf lifesavers ensured that a Taree paddle boarder returned to work at his dental practice and is not on his way across the Tasman after getting into difficulty at Forster on Sunday afternoon, August 19.
At around 4pm the State Operations Centre received reports of a paddle boarder in distress off Bennetts Headland after a member of the public witnessed the man’s futile struggle to paddle against the gale-force winds.
“My husband and I were at Second Head in our car soaking in the sun,” Melinda Robertson told the Great Lakes Advocate.
“The water was very choppy because of the wind; I was looking for whales when I caught a glimmer of something shining which later we realised was his paddle being held up.”
The man was at that time approximately 500 metres off the coast, according to Ms Robertson.
He also was spotted by another couple who raised the alarm
Within minutes the call-out a team from Forster SLSC had received notification of the unfolding drama and gathered at the club house to launch the rubber duck (IRB) into the wintery conditions.
Gavin Williams and Simon Lee were the two men tasked to crew the vessel, while club captain Bruce Higgs, Anthony Harris and Greg Randall were all on hand to assist in the launch and to provide first-aid if necessary.
President John Quinn, Lower North Coast duty officers Brian and Julie Wilcox and branch director of lifesaving, Nathan De Rooy also were on hand.
The lifesavers in the IRB were able to spot the paddle boarder within minutes of beginning their search with the exhausted man grateful to accept a lift back to the safety of the beach.
After a brief medical check by paramedics and a hot shower to warm up he was released with both a clean bill of health and a story to tell.
The incident is a timely reminder of how lifesavers are never off duty and reinforces the great work of members even in the offseason.
“What this incident highlights is the importance of the call-out team and having a system where everyone knows their roles,” Julie Wilcox said.
“Within minutes of receiving the call our team was out on the water and commencing their search while we received great support from the other agencies including police, paramedics, and Marine Rescue NSW who also raced to the scene.
“It’s great to have that co-operation between assets as we all work together for a successful outcome, which on this occasion we are fortunate to have as it wasn’t a great day to be on the ocean. There’s a lot of water between here and New Zealand.”
It is understood that the man had launched his craft from Tuncurry earlier in the afternoon and got into trouble almost immediately when he realised the winds were too strong to paddle against.
He was not wearing a lifejacket at the time.