Go Smell the Hero!
February 28th, 2008 by aussiecynicYesterday down here was a monumentous moment…
A fishing trawler sank off the coast of Byron Bay… nothing very amazing about that…true…
However one of the fisherman swam for 12- 14 hours to get help for his two mate… never stopped, didnt rest just swam. Because of his heroism one of his mates was found this morning floating and the search is on for the third man missing…. they had been the water for over 30 hours.. this is what happened.. direct from Yahoo news..
One of two fishermen lost at sea after their fishing trawler sank off the coast of Byron Bay in northern NSW has been found alive. A spokeswoman for the Maritime Safety Authority said the man was found floating about 15km north-east of Ballina, on the NSW north coast, at 8.15am (AEDT) on Thursday. A rescue helicopter airlifted the man to Ballina Hospital in an unknown medical condition but rescue crews are concerned for the man’s wellbeing. “Obviously he’s been in the water for quite some time,” the spokeswoman said. The man survived up to 30 hours at sea after the trawler sank when it likely struck an offshore reef about 4am (AEDT) on Wednesday.
Another fisherman on board the boat swam 12 hours to shore on Wednesday to raise the alarm. The 39-year-old made it to New Brighton Beach where he was found by a passerby about 4pm, suffering from exhaustion and dehydration.
He was not sure which of the two remaining men had been rescued or if he was clinging to an esky, as has been reported.
An amazing story of heroism and mateship… dont you think…. And the fact he swam in the right direction and found a area with people is even more so, so much of the coast is uninhabitated…
Share with us your stories of amazing feats of endurance, true or Urban Myth lets mix it up a bit…
WOW an awesome mark of endurance….
15 minutes in a pool and some of us are feeling like free willy mid flop.
Tat time of swimming is worthy of the English Channel! Maybe a case where superhuman strength kicks in (lifting up a car with a child trapped in it type stuff) and nature takes over for one word..
SURVIVAL.
I think it must have been.. it is estimate that he swam over 12 nautical miles to shore…..
aussiecynic’s last blog post..For all those who doubt We grow em big
Blimey that is some GO!ng.
Hmmm.. if his intent was to raise the alarm, then respect and admiration for that bloke.
Some (like Urban Pagan possibly
I’m filling in for you Gary as you ain’t around) would argue though that all he cared about was to save himself… he could have stayed with his mates to hold their head out of the water…
Still, respect and admiration for his courage and survival instincts.
About heroism, I believe heroes are made everyday, everywhere, quietly and humbly.. One just needs to know where to look..
Hi the anon chook???
yeh that was intention.. he left the skipper and a mate clinging to an ESKY… they found the second today clinging to it.. but dont hold much hope for the skipper… they have nearly a hundred boats and planes looking for him and are following the ocean current to track where he may have floated… We hope they find him… sea search and rescue as well as any search and rescue is taken very seriously down here they have craft from NSW and QLD involved in the search and all vessels out to sea in the region the trawler went down are on alert.. but hope is fading …..
aussiecynic’s last blog post..For all those who doubt We grow em big
yep was me. sorry to hear hope is fading for the skipper.
Hi ya chook Found it and thanks heaps hugely… checked them out and the first ones likes pretty interesing will look further in the Morning its 11.10pm here.. the second could be fun.. and will also go further with that one…
Thanks heaps I think I might be able to do something with them….
Tah Chook
aussiecynic’s last blog post..For all those who doubt We grow em big
12 miles is pretty amazing stuff! There’s something quite worrying when your on a ship or boat and there’s no land visible in any direction don’t you think?
Jonathan
Jonathan’s last blog post..Call Centre Bloopers
I liked the interview of the guy who clung to the esky.
Soft arse reporter asked him ‘How are you feeling’
Survivor ‘I’m fine mate, just glad I’m not still in the sea clinging to that f*cking drinks cooler mate’
or something like that.
Sounds like a Castlemaine 4X advert!
An UPdate
The Search has been called off the missing Skipper.. he was recovering from Cancer and it appears he couldnt hold on anylonger even with the other survivor holding on to him and the esky…
The Guy swam to shore because it was realised that no one would know there was a problem for at least three days and they would have all been dead…. the net snagged on a reef at 3am Wednesday and capsized the trawler…..
aussiecynic’s last blog post..Dogs got to love them
That’s about the closest analogy I can think of too.
Only for you AC…
you know why Queenslander call their beer XXXX because they cant spell Beer
aussiecynic’s last blog post..Very Happy People Laughing