When a boat operator who was fishing alone off Thirteenth Beach slipped and fell overboard he knew he was in big trouble. His boat was in gear and motoring away from him, leaving him unable to raise an alarm. Other boats in the area did not see him so he had to make the hour and a half swim to shore. He says he would never have got there if he had not been wearing his lifejacket (PFD). Coast Watch was called and we retrieved his boat which was over five nautical miles off shore and heading for Tasmania.
SAFETY TIP:
Become familiar with the different types of PFDs you must carry on your boat and when they must be worn .. it may just save your life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUXID_8VeWk . If you fish alone, you should also consider investing in a GPS equipped personal locator beacon (PLB) and attach it to your lifejacket. It will greatly increase your chances of being quickly located and rescued.