An angler has been described as a hero after rescuing three people off the coast of Forster last Friday.
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Bruce Ward from Tuncurry was fishing with friend Brouke McLaughlin when they spotted a boat partially submerged in the water on January 11.
“We decided to change fishing spots and soon spotted something in the water,” Bruce said.
“We went over to see what it was – we thought it could have been a shipping hazard or someone in trouble.”
Bruce steered his boat to find an overturned boat with three people in the water about 50 metres away.
“The boat was partially submerged with the bow of the boat sticking out of the water,” Bruce said.
If it had sunk or I thought it was a shipping hazard, we would have just sailed past back to Forster.
- Bruce Ward
“There we found the people in the water.
“They had life jackets on with one clinging to an Esky.
“I said to them: ‘do you want a lift’.”
Bruce pulled the trio, two men and one boy, onto his boat.
“The boy was in a bit of shock,” he said.
Bruce said they were thankful for his dedication to rescue them.
He brushed off praise for his heroic efforts.
“They were just lucky I was in the area,” a very modest Bruce said.
Bruce stressed he was just in the right place at the right time.
“If it had sunk or I thought it was a shipping hazard, we would have just sailed past back to Forster.”
They all waited on Bruce’s boat until the Marine Rescue Forster Tuncurry vessel arrived.
The people were transferred to the vessel before it towed the overturned boat back to Forster.
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service was tasked to the incident but was not required.
Bruce is a keen angler and boasts a wealth of experience navigating the open water.
“I’ve been out on the water my whole life,” Bruce said.
According to Marin Rescue’s Ray Mazurek, the vessel was submerged when they arrive, with just the bow sticking up like a shark’s fin.
In light of an original story on the rescue, Bruce said he was not a member of the Forster Tuncurry Marine Rescue.
In a boating emergency, Marine Rescue Forster Tuncurry can be contacted on channel 16 VHF or marine radio 27Mhz channel 88.
Boat users are encouraged to visit the Marine Rescue website and view a boat safety check list before heading out on the water.
It was a difficult 72 hours on the waterways in the Great Lakes, with the death of a 66-year-old man at Boomerang Beach on Monday, January 14.
The man was pulled from the water after suffering a sudden medical episode.
