Not kayak fisherman, but kayakers nonetheless. From Coast Guard Victoria today:


Kayakers in Difficulty off Williamstown

MEDIA RELEASE

Two vessels from St Kilda Coast Guard responded to a radio call on Sunday afternoon from a ship departing the Port of Melbourne, reporting that a kayak had overturned south of the breakwater at Williamstown, and a person was in the water in the vicinity of the Shipping Channel.

The first Coast Guard vessel arrived on scene within 6 minutes to find two men in their kayaks, with a third man in the water, struggling with the rough seas. With the help of the other two in his group, the man managed to climb back in to his kayak and the trio continued to paddle to shore. Due to the rough conditions, both a Coast Guard and a Port Security vessel stayed alongside the group, with the second Coast Guard vessel diverted to a report of a boat on the rocks just offshore from the Willamstown Football Oval.

Within minutes the Coast Guard vessel that remained with the kayakers was contacted by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade boat, reporting that they had located a lone kayaker a short distance away who had become separated from his three friends, and was unsure of their whereabouts. This fourth man, who had started his journey with the other three kayakers, was removed from the water by the MFB’s Fire Boat 1, along with the man who had originally fallen in and was continuing to struggle with the conditions.

With two of the kayakers safely onboard the Fire Boat, the remaining two paddled their way slowly towards Port Melbourne, escorted by the Coat Guard. The group of four was finally reunited at Sandridge Beach.

Coast Guard’s Steve Goddard, who was onboard at the time, said “Conditions on Port Phillip can change quickly, and it’s important that people check the weather before they go out onto the water. The fact that one of the group became separated and could not see the other three, despite being only 300 meters from them, is an indication of how tricky things can get.”





Steve Goddard
Media Section Officer, VF2
Phone: 0403 186 542
Email: media.vf2@coastguard.com.au
http://www.coastguard.com.au

More people making bad decisions.

and

You can bet the Brigade is going to get as much PR mileage from this as they can. The Waterway emergency response program has a long and chequered (costly) history.

That bit of water out from the break water can get like a washing machine can be very tricky.
Obviously not experienced ocean kayaker as if they where they would not have left one of there mates slip out of sight.

GoneFishn wrote:That bit of water out from the break water can get like a washing machine can be very tricky.
Obviously not experienced ocean kayaker as if they where they would not have left one of there mates slip out of sight.

100% agree about the water there. that little section is always a washing machine, even when it's variable wind.

Mix of boats, yarra flow, tide, deep water and structure... It's never fun.
Plus can be a bit hairy as you come around that corner, I always keep a wide berth as a lot of boats come dangerously close and dangerously fast to the concrete wall. .. The wall being 5odd metres high makes it a fair blind corner, even for the biggest kayak flag!!


I didn't hear about the kayakers, but I did see the luxury cruiser washed up on the rocks. Seen it very close at about 12pm and knew something was wrong. Then at 4 drove past to see it up on the rocks!

GoneFishn wrote:That bit of water out from the break water can get like a washing machine can be very tricky.
Obviously not experienced ocean kayaker as if they where they would not have left one of there mates slip out of sight.

Yep first thing I thought rough conditions and they let one of the group go it alone bad form, reminds me a bit of the paddle board guys a few years back that tried to cross the bay 2 of them left a third guy on his own without a paddle and headed to shore.

Cheers