An injured man had to be winched to safety after a boat was
wrecked on rocks near St Clair.
Three men on board the vessel, O'Bay, were taking part in the
Brighton Club annual fishing competition on Saturday when the
5m alloy drifted aground after its main and auxiliary motors
failed.
Skipper Don MacDonald, of Brighton, said both engines had
been checked before the vessel entered the water. It washed
up between St Clair and Tunnel Beach.
A Dunedin man injured his ankle when leaving the vessel. He
was winched to safety by the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter
and taken to Dunedin Hospital.
One of the trio, Sam Thomson, of Hawkes Bay, was diving for
paua and did not know what had happened to his friends until
he was rescued in an inflatable rescue boat from the St Clair
Surf Life Saving Club. Marine search and rescue adviser Rowan
Leck said he received the call about 4pm from Otago Maritime
Radio.
It had taken the men some time to recall they had a radio,
probably due to shock. Initially, they had tried to call for
help on a cellphone but had no coverage.
Mr Leck said the men got on to the shore direct from the
vessel. They attempted to tie the vessel, but overnight ''a
bit of a blow came though and put it right on top of the
shore''.
The vessel was extensively damaged and debris strewn along
the shore.
In another incident, people had been fishing near Taiaroa
Head when their vessel's engine failed and they issued a
mayday yesterday.
A nearby vessel towed them back to Port Chalmers.
Mr Leck said in both cases, radio communication with the two
boats, which had both broken down near shore, presented
difficulties.
-eileen.goodwin@odt.co.nz
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