Last Saturday before Racing commenced John Mills, Tanya Lawton and Jason Ettridge on Retriever saved 3 fisherman after their boat started sinking . A flare was set off by the fisherman and John Mills immediately reacted and went to assist. As they sped towards the emergency the boat sank to the point that only the tip of the bow was showing.and the 3 fisherman were in the water.
In about 20 knots of a cold southerly wind and a big swell John, Tanya and Jason were able to haul all fisherman to safety and also tie a rope to the bow of the boat. The cold fisherman were then attended to by Tania whilst John skippered the boat at a walking pace as he towed the sunken boat back to the harbour.
Coast Guard arrived soon after and offered assistance in towing the boat the rest of the way whilst John could bring the cold fisherman to shore and then go back and get on with starting a start a sailing race.
As the day was cold the warm clothes the three gentlemen had on were wighing them down and they could hardly keep their heads above the water. The boat had recently been purchased and they did have all the safety gear on board. What happened was the fibreglass transom fell away off the rest of the boats hull with the engine dragging it under the water like an anchor and water rushing in from the stern .
John and Tania are very humble about it but what they did was amazing in what could have been a whole lot worse if they were not there and react as they did.
In about 20 knots of a cold southerly wind and a big swell John, Tanya and Jason were able to haul all fisherman to safety and also tie a rope to the bow of the boat. The cold fisherman were then attended to by Tania whilst John skippered the boat at a walking pace as he towed the sunken boat back to the harbour.
Coast Guard arrived soon after and offered assistance in towing the boat the rest of the way whilst John could bring the cold fisherman to shore and then go back and get on with starting a start a sailing race.
As the day was cold the warm clothes the three gentlemen had on were wighing them down and they could hardly keep their heads above the water. The boat had recently been purchased and they did have all the safety gear on board. What happened was the fibreglass transom fell away off the rest of the boats hull with the engine dragging it under the water like an anchor and water rushing in from the stern .
John and Tania are very humble about it but what they did was amazing in what could have been a whole lot worse if they were not there and react as they did.
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