RESCUE AT SEA
A KEWARRA Beach couple’s quick thinking and mobile phone quite literally saved their lives after the boat they were in sank 38km off the coast of Cairns.
The man and woman onboard had decided to move locations for the night due to rough weather when the anchor rope became entangled in the outboard motor of the vessel about 9.50pm on Saturday.
As a result, the stern of the 5.2m fibreglass vessel was facing the swell and within seconds began to sink, forcing the pair into the water.
They were unable to access life jackets and the EPIRB, but the woman managed to get her mobile phone.
Cairns police Acting Senior Sergeant Graham Camp, who co-ordinated the rescue, said the woman called triple-0 and was able to text message through their GPS coordinates while they were floating in the water.
He said she was then able to signal to the approaching water police vessel using the phone’s torch.
“It was the spectacular work of the survivors and the water police that saved them,” he said.
“If she didn’t get that position through, how do you find them in the dark?
“They did very, very well under pressure.”
Cairns Water Police Senior Constable Craig Cormie and Senior Constable Chris Mosby found the couple about 11.05pm treading water and clinging to an anchor float that they were able to retrieve before the vessel sank.
“This pair acted extremely well under pressure. It’s a very traumatic situation and they reacted fantastically,” he said.
“They’re still very shaken up by this.
“They had a full complement of safety equipment on the vessel, which obviously as the water police we strongly push, but in these situations, you can’t always get to them.
“They didn’t have time; the boat rolled that quickly they were both all but thrown out of the vessel and the wife had time to grab the phone, which saved their life, I believe.”
The Kewarra Beach couple was examined by paramedics but didn’t require further medical attention.