Marine Rescue Port Stephens Volunteers Miss Out On Sleep To Carry Out Two Rescues

 BY IAN CROUCH

The crew at Marine Rescue Port Stephens have been kept busy with consecutive rescues in treacherous conditions.

They were called out on Saturday night to assist a 9 metre motor cruiser with fuel problems near Birubi Beach, taking 5 hours to tow the vessel back to Nelson Bay Marina while battling 20 knot winds and large swells.

Just six hours later they were called out to an overturned vessel with two people in the water near Fingal  Light.

One suffered a broken leg while the other had cuts to their arms and legs.

They were delivered to Shoal Bay where a waiting ambulance took them to hospital

The overturned vessel near Fingal Light Picture: Marine Rescue Port Stephens

Boys Rescued From Crippled Catamaran At Salamander Bay

BY IAN CROUCH

Two teenage boys are safely back on dry land after their catamaran got into trouble in windy conditions at Port Stephens overnight.

A member of the public noticed the vessel drifting with a broken mast at Salamander Bay just on dusk on Tuesday and raised the alarm.

Marine Rescue, Water Police, Maritime Services and the POLAIR helicopter were activated.

A Marine Rescue crew found the catamaran with the two 15-year-olds on board at about 7 o'clock and towed the vessel back to Rywood Reserve.