Marine Rescue Terrigal rolled off Central Coast

Three Marine Rescue Terrigal volunteers have thankfully escaped without injury after their brand new $350k vessel, Terrigal 30, was overturned by an alleged rogue wave off Little Box Head on the Central Coast yesterday afternoon (July 7, 2016).

A Marine Rescue NSW spokesman said the three crew members on board the 9m Sailfish catamaran had been retrieved from the water by the Ettalong ferry.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Marine Rescue Terrigal Unit Commander Cameron Slowy and two crew took delivery of the 9.5m Sailfish boat from Pittwater and were two hours into its maiden voyage heading to Hardys Bay when they were hit by a wave while trying to navigate the bar into Brisbane Water.

Sadly, the Marine Rescue Terrigal unit base sustained major damage in the storms that struck the NSW coastline on June 4 and 5. Now this.

As a result of the damage, the unit has a temporary boat mooring on Brisbane Water. Marine Rescue NSW says the crew was travelling across the ocean bar at Little Box Head into the narrow channel to Brisbane Water on its way back to its mooring when the vessel was struck by a large wave about 2pm.

The three men on board were reportedly trapped inside the cabin for a few minutes before they were able to escape and were picked up by the Ettalong Ferry and one of the crew was taken to Gosford Hospital to get treatment for a cut on his hand.

No further details were available at the time from Marine Rescue NSW, which said it would conduct an internal investigation. The vessel is said to be covered by MRNSW insurance.

Salvage crews were hopeful of recovering the twin outboard-powered vessel. More from
Marine Rescue NSW.