Thirteen people had to be taken off a commercial dive-boat in Australia near the entrance to the Tweed River yesterday (13 June), after one of the vessel’s engines failed and the skipper judged it unsafe to cross the Tweed Bar.
The bar, just south of Point Danger on the New South Wales-Queensland border, is known locally as a difficult crossing because shifting sandbanks and changing tide and swell conditions can quickly make the river entrance hazardous.
Marine Rescue Point Danger volunteer radio operators received a call for assistance from the boat’s skipper just before mid-day. Other volunteers were mobilised aboard two Marine Rescue Point Danger vessels that were able to cross the bar to reach the dive-boat in open water.
“The situation was assessed before our crews began transferring 13 people from the dive-boat onto the rescue vessels,” reported Marine Rescue NSW Inspector John Murray. The divers and crew were then safely transported across the Tweed Bar and dropped off at a jetty.
“After returning the passengers, bar conditions were not favourable for crossing with a vessel in tow and we advised the dive-boat skipper to wait in safer waters,” said Inspector Murray.
With one engine still operating, the skipper was able to drive the boat slowly to a public mooring off nearby Cook Island. Later in the afternoon when tidal conditions had improved the Marine Rescue Point Danger crews were able to tow the dive-boat to the jetty.
“The skipper of the dive-boat described it as a smooth operation,” said Marine Rescue Point Danger unit commander Aaron Ashley. “Our volunteers train regularly to respond to incidents like this one. In fact, crews were out earlier in the day doing just that.”
Also on Divernet: Diving Deep into Australia’s Oceans: A Comprehensive Guide
